The Eastward Road
by KaleidoscopeKreation
Summary: Princess Eva of Germania has the power to make an alliance that will change the course of history, if she can she can survive the journey to his kingdom. Determined to do her duty, she sets out to marry the Emperor Kiku, accompanied and protected by one brave Captain Yao...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Greetings to you, dear fanfictioner. I see you have had the fortune - or misfortune, depending on how you look at it - to stumble across this admittedly slightly insane story, written in precisely a month as a sort of mini-NaNoWriMo challenge. I, the Authoress KaleidoscopeKreation, present you with a fanfiction for a peculiar Hetalia pairing that I invented myself, set in an alternate universe not quite like our own, set a few centuries ago. **

**The pairing is China x Liechtenstein. The universe is one in which the continent of Eurasia is primarily divided into two empires, the Western named Germania and the Eastern one the Middle Kingdom. (America has either not yet been discovered, or is in the very earliest stages of his nascent contact with Eurasia. You decide which.)The characters who feature predominantly are as follows: Prussia/Gilbert, Germany/Ludwig, Vash/Switzerland, Hungary/Elizabeta, Austria/Roderich, China/Yao, Japan/Kiku, and Liechtenstein, whom I have given the human name of Eva. **

**I think that's all you need to know for now. I hope you will enjoy reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

**Izzyxox**

* * *

><p><em>For E, for convincing me to join with you in this NaNoWriMo lark; and for True Colours, my beta, because you support me in all my writing endeavours, however crazy. <em>

* * *

><p>"<em>It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end."<em>

**Ursula K. LeGuin**

**~O~  
><strong>

**The Eastward Road**

**Chapter 1 – The Alliance**

Somewhere down the corridor, a clock was striking two. Its chimes hung in the air, unheeded by the five people seated together, before fading away, leaving a tense silence in their wake.

King Ludwig of Germania had decided to gather his family in one of the small upper rooms of the castle in order to deliver the news. In a circle around him sat his two sons, Vash and Roderich; his brother, Gilbert; Lady Elizabeta of Budapest, unrelated by blood but as close as if she had been; and finally, sat close beside her for solidarity, his youngest daughter, Eva. The family sat in tense silence, waiting for the King to speak. They all knew that a meeting this private meant some serious matter was to be discussed.

After a few seconds, the King cleared his throat and started. 'You will all be wondering why I have called you here,' he said. Eva worriedly twisted her hands in her lap. Her father's voice was preoccupied and tense, almost nervous. 'I need to speak with you on a matter of the utmost importance to our family. It concerns the ambassadors I received from the Middle Kingdom earlier in the month.'

Eva looked sidelong at her brothers. Vash sat in silence, his brow furrowed, his gaze fixed on his father. Roderich, on the other hand, kept his eyes on his lap, drumming a complicated staccato rhythm on his thigh in a betrayal of nerves. His gaze flickered briefly towards her, but she looked quickly away.

Roderich, the heir to the Germanian throne, was involved in most matters of state. He had been helping her father to entertain their guests – sent by the ruler of the Middle Kingdom, the great empire to the east of Germania. Eva herself had stayed out of the way – the people of the Middle Kingdom scared her a little, with their exotic clothing, slanting eyes and peculiar, lilting accents. But Roderich had spent almost as much time with them as her father had. Did he know what was coming?

'The Middle Kingdom wishes to make an alliance with Germania; it is indisputable that we are the two greatest powers in Eurasia, and to unite would create an almost unconquerable force.'

'That's a good thing, surely?' Vash burst out, seemingly unable to contain himself in silence any longer.

'For our countries, is indeed an excellent turn of events. As all of you know, the wild lands between the capitals of our two empires – the plains of Russe, and the mountains of Hima – have long been uncontrollable. Although they are officially under our respective thrones, they are for the most part a law unto themselves. Travel and trade between Berlinz, our capital, and Higashi, theirs, has always been difficult and fraught with peril.' As he said this, Ludwig's already anxious expression became nothing short of a grimace.

'But you think that this alliance will help us to gain real control of Hima and Russe!' Gilbert said triumphantly. 'You're right. I'll wager that between us, we can create a safe trade route with no problem at all.'

'Yes – and from there, thousands of new opportunities will be opened to Germania, and the Middle Kingdom,' concluded Roderich, his fingers continuing to drum restlessly on his knee.

Ludwig sighed heavily. 'But there is another condition to this alliance.'

Eva, who had just begun to relax, became tense again. Worry gnawed in her stomach, and then, horrifyingly, her Father turned in his seat to face her. She felt her heart speed up, and clenched one hand with the other until the knuckles turned white.

'In order to cement the union between our monarchies, the embassy wishes for an alliance to be made between our royal families themselves. Of course what I mean by this is marriage – marriage to our Princess.' Then, for the first time since she had entered the room, King Ludwig's shrewd blue eyes met directly with Eva's. She felt her stomach drop as she processed her father's words, and realised exactly what they meant. 'For the alliance to be secured, Eva must make the journey to Higashi, on the farthest Eastern shore of the Middle Kingdom, and there be wed to the Emperor Kiku. And none of us can go with her.'

There was a moment of silence so tense that it seemed to roar in Eva's ears. Then Vash broke it. 'Why not?' he said, his voice only just under a shout. 'If she must go, and I see that you've set your heart on it, let one of us at least make sure that she is safe. I would happily make the journey –no matter what the cost. I will not let Eva travel across Russe alone.'

Ludwig sighed. 'Vash, I'm sorry, but we need you here. Half the army is under your command, and furthermore, you would be under twice the risk. You would have to journey back again, quite possibly without an armed guard or adequate protection.'

Eva winced at the way that her father said '_twice the risk' _– as though this were some sort of roulette game that he was gambling on winning. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and there seemed to be a roaring in her ears that wouldn't go away.

Then Elizabeta put an arm around her and spoke. 'Then allow me to be her companion. I'll stay with her in Higashi until your armies make the return journey safe.'

'Lady Elizabeta,' said Ludwig, and Eva noticed for the first time how heavy his voice seemed, 'do you think that your father would really allow you to go? He loves you dearly, and you are his only daughter. I know that he has high hopes for you. And it may be months, even years, before it is safe for you to return.'

Eva was the only one who noticed the way that Elizabeta's eyes flickered to Roderich and back. Eva knew her friend's mind on this matter. Elizabeta had been her lady-in-waiting – and her best friend – since she could remember. And because of that, Eva knew also that she would never ask Elizabeta to come with her. It would hurt Elizabeta's family, and Elizabeta herself, for her to be away from Germania for so long, and to bear the anxiety of the long journey across the wildest parts of their world.

But Ludwig was allowing Eva to go, despite the risks, the distance, the things she would have to leave behind. For the first time ever, Eva found herself wondering whether her father truly loved her.

'I know that it seems terrible,' Ludwig acknowledged, in that same heavy voice, 'but I believe that it is the best thing for our Kingdom – for the whole of Germania. Trade will be increased exponentially. People will be able to travel safely from city to city. And we will have a powerful ally in the event of war...'

Eva saw it, for a shining moment, from his point of view. The dawn of a great new era, within their reach, glittering with endless possibilities. All if she could make this one journey.

'...But ultimately it is Eva's decision. Eva, if you choose to do this in the line of duty for Germania, I will send a guard of my finest men to accompany you, and you will be remembered throughout history as the cornerstone of a great alliance.'

'If she survives,' Vash said through gritted teeth. Eva tried not to let that possibility cross her mind, but it was useless. Her imagination conjured up a thousand awful ends – death in the cold, at the hands of a band of ruthless thieves, or worse things even than those, and she shut her eyes, trying to banish them. She felt Elizabeta take her hand and squeeze it tightly.

'But,' Ludwig continued, 'If you choose not to, we will forget the scheme entirely. I will not force you into anything, Eva.' She forced herself to open her eyes and look at her father. 'Eva,' he said quietly. Not gently, but still tenderly. 'It is up to you.'

Eva looked into his eyes again, and saw with a rush of feeling that they were no longer shrewd. The lines on his forehead and around his mouth betrayed the anxiety of years of ruling an empire – he had fought many battles, endured many losses – not least that of Eva's own mother – and he had seen things that she didn't even want to imagine. He had every reason to be cynical and unfeeling... but here he was, looking at her with that irrational affection, leaving the decision that could make or break an empire up to her.

Trusting her.

And she had to make a decision that was worthy of that.

'Father,' she started, and then realised her voice was trembling violently. She blinked, gulped and continued. 'Uncle, Roderich, Vash, 'Liza. I know that what I'm being asked to do is dangerous. But... I also know that it is right. I'm being given the chance to change the history of the country with this alliance, and though it's risky, I... I want to do it. I want to make a difference...' She suddenly found that she had run out of words, and shut her mouth abruptly, casting her eyes to the floor.

There was a silence of a few seconds, and then Gilbert spoke. 'Well said, Eva. You're a brave girl.'

Roderich nodded in assent, his grey-blue eyes filled with pride behind his spectacles. Elizabeta squeezed her hand even tighter.

But Vash just glared at the floor, his lips pulled together in a hard line of unhappiness.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks to Fantasyname, Dark Blue Fire and ForgottenReveries for your lovely reviews. I'm so glad that you liked the first chapter - I hope that you will continue to enjoy the story! The more people who take an interest in this rarepair, the better. Spread the love! **

**Now on with the story. **

**|O|**

**Chapter 2 – Of Arrangements**

Of course, once Eva agreed, things began to happen very quickly. In fact, there was such a whirlwind of activity around her that she scarcely had time to worry; she was busy from the moment that she was woken by Elizabeta in the morning to the moment she closed the curtains of her four-poster at night.

There were dress-fittings, transport preparations, and endless visits to receive gifts and congratulations from nobles and populace alike. Princess Eva was a well-loved public figure, something of a mascot for the empire, and she was touched by the number of people who wished to say goodbye to her.

And then, of course, there was the arrangement of her guard.

It turned out that the embassy had included a band of elite soldiers of the Emperor's own guard all along, in anticipation of the marriage proposal being accepted. Eva wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or pleased about that. There would be A few women, too, of course, to wait on her and chaperone, but they were all servants that she would be expected to order about, not befriend. She hadn't met any of these people yet – having kept her distance from the soldiers in the past, and been busy every hour since the alliance had been announced, there had been no chance to.

But one breakfast, a few days before her departure, Ludwig said, 'Eva, I think that it is time that you made the acquaintance of your travelling companions.'

Beside her, she felt Vash tense. He had been silent and brooding ever since she had agreed to the marriage, answering questions as shortly as possible and spending long periods of time alone. He was particularly quick-tempered when with Ludwig and their older brother, and Eva wondered whether he blamed them for what had happened. When Roderich had asked his opinion on a particular detail of the route that Eva should take, Vash had turned on him with a glare so fierce that Eva had been afraid that he would strike Roderich. In short, it hadn't been a particularly comfortable atmosphere to live in – and it made Eva miserable. She didn't want her final days with the family to be something unpleasant to look back on. And it might even be the last time she saw them...

'Eva?' Ludwig said again, and she was shocked from her morbid thoughts.

'Y-yes, father. I agree that I should meet them – after all, they will be my company for the next two months.' She gave a smile to show her father that she was not bitter or accusatory – or at least, she tried not to be. 'Will I see them today, then?' she asked quickly.

Ludwig nodded. 'Yes – they will be ready to see you straight after breakfast, at the compound; as soon as you like.'

He had arranged it beforehand, of course. Like he always did. Eva felt irritation flare inside her, but then noticed how careworn and stressed her father looked, and felt guilty. Who would be a King – or for that matter, a Princess?

'Alright,' Eva said carefully. She finished the last few mouthfuls of her breakfast – hot oatmeal with milk and honey – then pushed the bowl away and stood up. 'Let me put my things on, and I can go now.'

Elizabeta pushed her half-finished meal away. 'I'll come with you,' she said.

'No, 'Liza, don't worry,' Eva said lightly. 'Finish your breakfast, I'll be fine on my own.'

'Are you sure? Because it's really...' Elizabeta trailed off as Eva gave her a look in which she tried to express: 'Much as I'd like to have you with me, we both need to get used to staying apart.' Eva hated that she was cutting herself off from her closest friend before she had to, but maybe it would make it easier for them if they'd both had a little practise.

Elizabeta looked as though she still might argue, but then Roderich put a hand on her arm. 'Don't worry, Elizabeta,' he said quietly, 'Eva can cope on her own.' Eva watched her friend relax and blush slightly, and smiled to herself. At least those two wouldn't be lonely when she was gone.

'Alright, Eva,' Elizabeta said, a little too nonchalantly, 'I hope that it goes well.'

But then Eva noticed that Vash was looking unhappier than ever, and her momentary good mood disappeared like smoke in the wind.

She cleared her throat awkwardly, realising as she did so that it was a habit she'd picked up from her father. 'We'd best be off then. I'll see you in a while, Roderich, Liza, Vash,' she managed to catch his eye and smile at him, but received only a curt nod in reply.

A minute later, a maid was fastening the laces of her cloak, and she and her father were striding across the green turf towards the guests' compound. All around her were the familiar sounds and smells of her home – the bright sky with its scudding, fluffy clouds; the shrill song of birds; the lingering taste of honey and milk on her tongue. She drank it all in greedily, savouring her surroundings while she still could. There was a small clump of late violets, nestled in the grass, contrasting beautifully with the green. If she listened hard, she could make out the clatter of the city outside the castle walls. And there was the early smell of freshly cut grass, new and enticing, that filled her with vitality and nostalgia in equal proportion...

'Eva,' her father said suddenly, and she jumped guiltily, realising she hadn't talked at all, 'we're here.'

She looked up to see that they had indeed arrived at the gateway of the guest's compound. A pair of wrought-iron gates swung open as they approached, revealing the inner courtyard where the fountain bubbled. Dusty gravel crunched underfoot as they entered, and a bed of flowering bushes ran along all four walls.

'Of course, only the Captain and the senior Officers are staying here,' Ludwig said to her in an undertone. Most of the soldiers will be stationed in the barracks at the gate.'

Eva nodded, suddenly finding herself very nervous. She was about to meet the people that she would be spending almost the next four months living with, as they made a perilous journey across the most dangerous area of the world. Supposing they were horrible? Barbarians in armour, hired mercenaries whom she couldn't trust? What would become of her then?

King Ludwig strode forward and tolled a bell in the centre of the courtyard, the one that alerted the visitors that someone was here to see them. Vaguely, Eva remembered a time when she had been much smaller. She had reached up on her toes and rung that same bell with Elizabeta beside her, giggling, and then run away before anyone appeared. It had seemed so big back then.

'Your Majesty?' A male servant in Germanian livery had appeared, and was bowing low in front of them.

'I am here to see Captain Wang of the First Guard,' Ludwig said, and Eva nearly smiled as at his artificially regal tone, and – though she felt guilty – at the Captain's name. It would take her a long while to get used to the language of the Middle Kingdom.

The servant bowed again. 'Of course. He is expecting you.'

They followed the man down a grey-stone passage and around a corner, and Eva saw that they were approaching another, smaller courtyard, outside the compound's largest habitation.

'Emperor Kiku has sent his finest guard to escort you back,' Ludwig said to her in an undertone as they walked. 'There are almost one hundred soldiers in all, and the man who will be commanding the troops is the imperial Captain of the Guard.'

Eva bit her lip and suddenly wished that she was a few inches taller, or had a steely, intimidating look or maybe an impressive physique... anything that would make her feel more confident against the man she would be meeting, who could surely be only a step down from the Emperor himself. 'I suppose the Captain is a great man indeed,' she said apprehensively.

Ludwig gave a small, amused half-smile. 'Don't worry, Eva. I think you shall be able to cope.'

'Captain Wang, His Majesty the King and Princess Eva to see you,' the servant called. Then he paused and turned to them apologetically. 'I apologize – he is most likely engaged elsewhere. I shall find him and alert him to your presence.' He bowed once more, and then retired out of sight.

The courtyard they now stood in somehow combined a sense of grandeur and familiarity; the large double doors were made of age-smoothed oak planks, and a magnificent apple tree just past its peak stood to one side, creating a bower of dappled shade.

Eva moved into this area and stood still, feeling tense and nervous. She fiddled with them hem of her cloak, turning it this way and that to see the light catch it, trying to put the meeting from her mind, but to no avail. Her father stood beside her, his eyes on the ground, and then glanced up as a voice suddenly cut across the courtyard.

'Your Majesty!'

Eva followed his gaze, to see, coming from a door on the far side of the courtyard, a man whom she could only assume was Captain Wang Yao.

The images of a six-foot-tall, hard-eyed warlord that had been materializing in her mind disintegrated as he walked towards them. He was not tall, only a few inches taller than her. Rather than being stocky like her elder brother Vash – who despite his height cut an intimidating figure indeed – Captain Wang was slim and wiry. He had dark brown hair tied back into a loose ponytail (which struck Eva as very odd – she had seldom seen a man with long hair before), from which a few strands escaped and hung over his face, which was shining slightly and flushed from exercise. He had the characteristic golden-brown skin of the Eastern people, but unusually, his eyes were not dark brown but very warm shade of hazel, framed with thick, effeminate black lashes. His eyes, combined with the plain tunic and leggings he was dressed in, were what put Eva at her ease. Because Captain Wang was smiling at her, and it was genuine enough to reach his eyes. She knew that she was seeing, not an immaculate suit of armour, but a real person.

But then he looked away from her and bowed very low, his hands pressed together in front of him in the Eastern fashion. 'King Ludwig, it is an honour to see you – and so early! I am quite unprepared for such a meeting, I am afraid. As you can see, I was in the middle of my morning training when I heard news of your arrival.' his voice was smooth and almost alto in pitch; in fact, Eva could easily have mistaken it for a boy's, had she not seen the man standing in front of her.

'Not to worry,' Ludwig said, giving a small bow in return, 'Eva and I were ready far earlier than I expected.'

'And this fine lady, I presume, is Princess Eva?' said Captain Wang, turning to face her again.

'Indeed. Eva – this is Captain Wang Yao of the First Guard.'

Yao bowed once more, and Eva stepped forward with the practised curtsey that she had been doing since she could walk.

'It is an honour to meet you at last, your Highness,' he said. 'I hope that I shall be able to worthily fulfil my duty as your protector in the months to come.' He smiled dazzlingly. 'It is not so very often that I have to guard as precious a cargo as this.'

Eva noted this. So he had reached this high position with his charm, and his diplomacy – which was at least better than brute force. She hoped that his skill with weapons in fights lived up to his skill with words in conversation.

'It is an honour to meet you too, Captain,' Eva said, in her most serious manner, 'and I hope that I will not be too troublesome as cargos go.'

Beside her, Eva swore she heard her father chuckle.

Yao gave a laugh like wind-chimes, but past that, Eva thought that she saw him give her a searching look – sizing her up. 'I have escorted many trade convoys and embassies through the wildest parts of Russe and Hima, so I beg you to try to be at ease throughout our journey. You will be in safe hands.'

Eva gave a small smile. 'I am glad to hear that, Captain.' He might have appeared as a person, but his smooth suit of armour was quickly materializing.

Ludwig and Captain Wang exchanged pleasantries for a while, running over plans for the route, the rations and the various security measures that would be taken. Eva asked a question or gave her own opinion at a few moments, sometimes because she really had an interest in what was being said and sometimes because she felt that it was her duty and right, as the object of all this hassle, to understand exactly what was to happen.

Eventually, though, Ludwig said that they should be going. 'Captain Wang, I would be honoured if you had the time to join us for dinner tonight,' he said. 'It will be good for the whole family to meet you; and you can think of it as a reconnaissance for the larger gathering in a few days.'

He was talking about the leaving party, which would take place the evening before Eva's departure. All the major families of Germania had been invited, as well as many high-profile individuals from the Middle Kingdom. Eva's friends and Elizabeta's family would be there, and the entire Middle Kingdom embassy and guard, of which Yao was the commander.

Captain Wang smiled. 'I would be delighted to attend. And you are right – it will be useful to see the castle in advance, so that I may more effectively direct those under my command.'

'In that case, we will see you this evening,' Ludwig extended a hand, and the Captain shook it. Eva noticed that, like the way he spoke their language, though he carried it out flawlessly, the gesture was clearly unnatural to him. She wondered what the customary greeting was in the Middle Kingdom, and realised, with a flash of panic, how much she would have to get used to, even if she did survive the journey.

'Good-bye, your Majesty, your Highness,' he said, still smiling, as he bent to kiss Eva's hand in that same unnatural manner (thought she'd met very few people who could do that with total assurance, so she was struck by it less). 'I look forward to seeing you again this evening.'

'And you,' Eva said. 'It was a pleasure to meet you, Captain Wang.'

By the time they had left the compound, Eva felt utterly weary of formalities. As they recrossed the grass, she rubbed the damp patch on her hand away and gave a sigh as she lost the tension that always came with meeting new important people.

'I think that went well,' she said tentatively to her father.

'Yes,' he agreed. 'Captain Wang is a first-rate young man, is he not? I am glad that he will be accompanying you, and not some violent oaf with no understanding of diplomacy.'

'It could have been far worse,' Eva reflected, remembering her panicked fantasies before the Captain had appeared. 'He was very... smooth, though. He seemed nice enough, but the way that he put everything so eloquently... I worry that he might be more of a talker than a doer. And he flattered me in a manner that was rather chauvinistic.'

'From what I've heard of him,' Ludwig countered, 'he is a proficient military man, too. He had a great deal of experience in front-line combat; he led a counter-attack against some horsemen in Russe last year that earned him the reputation of a hero for the Eastern people. And as for that comment, I think he honestly meant it as a compliment. They treat their women like precious gems in Higashi, you know. I daresay you'll be quite spoiled.'

'I'd rather be treated like an equal than a stone.'

'Well, you certainly gave him something to think about on that front,' Ludwig told her. 'You made some very insightful comments while we were talking; I was very proud, and I think he was impressed too. If you keep up that level of conversation, you won't be just a gem in Higashi for long.'

'Really?' Eva smiled, and as she did, she realised that she and her father hadn't talked like this since he had informed her of the marriage. They were relating, sharing views and being themselves in a way they hadn't for weeks. It made her happy, but also sad, as she remembered all the reasons why she would miss her family, and her home.

Ludwig nodded, glancing sidelong at her. 'Eva... I have a great deal of faith in you. I think that you will come out of this... trial... as a victor. But if there is any trouble – '

'Then at least I have someone competent to look after me,' Eva finished for him. She looked ahead, at the huge grey-stone walls of the castle in front of them. 'I hope he lives up to our expectations.'

They crossed the threshold into the hall in silence.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry, sorry, sorry – I know I promised frequent updates. I just totally forgot about it. I got hit by a Duke of Edinburgh expedition, exam panic and work experience all in quick succession, and I'm still reeling. Thank goodness that the summer term is nearly over! I really need a holiday. But anyway. I will try my utmost to update more frequently from now on. I hope you enjoy this chapter! **

**Chapter 3 – The Night and the Day**

The celebrations were well underway.

All around her there were people talking, eating and drinking in magnificent gowns and uniforms. A few pairs of dancers twirled in the centre of the room, and a group of dark-clothed musicians played the traditional Germanian music that Eva had grown up with. There was laughter and merriment in the air, but beneath the superficial enjoyment of a royal party, there ran undercurrents of tension and melancholy. The princess was leaving them – by her own free will, granted, but on a dangerous journey to a place most of them had never been. There were those present who didn't agree with the marriage. There were people who were worrying. And all of them found that the best way to deal with their misgivings was to talk to Eva.

She had woven her way through the crowds as efficiently as she could, but every other step people had stopped her. There had been congratulations, heartfelt embraces, and the odd tirade that she had pacified as best she could. She had heard countless jokes, some funny, most not, and even lent her handkerchief as a few tears were shed. It was all very touching, and she had had no idea that people cared for her so much, even if it was just the drama of it all getting to them.

But now she was out of the main ballroom and leaning against the banister of the grand staircase, fanning herself with one hand and enjoying the cool and solitude of the entrance hall. In some ways, it would be lovely to just get underway tomorrow, and out of all the fuss of leaving. Though once the journey was happening, it would probably entail just as many problems of its own.

Eva sighed and blew her fringe out of her face on a puff of air, her gaze wandering idly around the hall. And then, suddenly, her attention was drawn to one object in particular.

Her mother's portrait on the wall.

Many people had told Eva that she had her mother's eyes and build – not that Eva would know. Her mother had died after wasting away in the two years after Eva was born, and out of the three children, only Roderich could remember her clearly. Her portrait hung in the great hall, and her dark hair, pale skin and warm green eyes always seemed to smile down at Eva. She had talked to the painting when she was little, telling it about her day, her feelings, her excitement and worries. Of course she had grown out of that long ago, but she still loved to look up at the portrait; it gave her a feeling of both sadness, and love, for the mother she had never known.

She might never see it again, after tomorrow.

The idea filled her with sadness, and she walked towards the painting. She glanced quickly to her left and right – she was alone. Once more, for old time's sake?

'Good evening, Mutti,' she said tentatively, looking up at the rough painted surface. 'I hope you're doing well. In Heaven, if that's what happens to us when we die. If I die on this trip, will I see you there?

'I'll miss you, Mutti, and I wish you could be here to watch me go, and to be there for Vash when I'm gone. He seems so sad. I worry for him. I worry for all of them. And Mutti... would you be proud of me?' She felt tears surging hotly up behind her eyes, the painting swimming before her. 'Would you say I was doing the right thing?'

'I reckon she would.' A voice came behind her, and Eva jumped and whirled around, embarrassment overwhelming her –

But – thank Gott – it was only Uncle Gilbert. Though anyone at all was bad enough.

'She'd be really proud of you for having the guts,' he said, acting as though there was nothing odd about talking to a painting, 'but she'd be freaking out over the risks. She'd probably fight tooth and nail to prevent it, but in the end, she'd trust you not to get dead if you decided to go.'

'I hope that I'd live up to that trust,' Eva whispered.

Gilbert paused for a moment. 'You know, Eva,' he mused, 'I can remember when you only came up to my knees. And I would pick you up and toss you around, and then if I dropped you you'd yell and Ludwig and your two big brothers would all come down on me like a ton of bricks.' He grinned ruefully. 'And now, look – you're being married off to the other side of the world, and I'm still an irresponsible bachelor!'

'Maybe you should think about getting married,' Eva suggested.

'_If _I did, it wouldn't be for politics. Knowing me, I'd most likely end up setting Germania at war with the poor woman's country.' He chuckled. 'But I've watched you grow up, Eva, and I'll tell you this: if any girl could survive making a journey across Russe and set up an alliance at the end of it, it would be you. And so, although it might seem hard, I've got a feeling you're making the right decision, not just for Germania, but for you. If it helps, think of it as a quest.'

Eva smiled shakily and felt just a tiny bit more confident. 'That's a good idea. But a quest for what?'

'I suppose you'll find out,' he said teasingly. Then his smile faded. 'But honestly, Eva, I think you'll be fine. It's us at home I worry about.'

Eva looked at him questioningly.

'I think there're a lot of time bombs ticking in this family, and your leaving might set some of them off.' He sighed. 'Vash, Roderich, Elizabeta...'

Eva sighed. 'Well, they'll just have to solve the problems without me. It'll do them good.'

Gilbert grinned. 'That's my girl.'

~O~

Eva barely slept.

She'd rolled over and back, pulled her blankets on and off, got up for a drink, prayed, stared at the canopy of her bed... nothing had really worked. She had debated going to sleep with Liza in the next room, but decided eventually against it. She wasn't a baby anymore.

Eventually, when the first birds of dawn began to tweet in the trees outside, Eva gave it up as a bad job. She swung out of bed, rubbed her eyes, pulled a brush through her hair and started to get dressed, deciding to fill the time between sunrise and breakfast with a farewell ride. Actually, she mused, buttoning a petticoat, it had worked out quite well. She could always sleep once the journey had got underway.

Down in the hallway, she yanked on a warm cloak and some old boots – the only pair that hadn't been packed away – and hurried out of the side door, where the porter bade her a drowsy 'good morning'. She crossed the dew-fresh grass quickly, almost running, her sleepiness vanishing in the cool, opalescent morning air.

In the stables, it didn't take her long to saddle up her pony, an energetic dapple gelding by the name of Salzpfeffer. She had named him when she was only twelve, and had become far too attached, and not grown nearly enough to replace him.

But she was to bring a larger, more business-like horse with her to Higashi.

She clucked at him gently and led him out of the stall, waiting until they were outside to swing herself up into the saddle. She settled herself for a moment, fitting her legs into the worn side-saddle, and then picked up the reins and clucked gently.

Salz pricked up his ears at once, jogging forward beneath her in a walk that was nearly a trot. She let him have his head, urging him from into a gentle, rocking canter that she knew he could keep up for miles.

She steered him into the familiar tracks around their grounds, looking out over the castle, the woods, the clusters of flowers. As she passed the gate leading out into the city, she slowed a little. She realised, with a jolt, that if she wanted, she could run away. She might not get very far, but she could do it, and it would be enough to make her father change his mind...

Then she turned the reins sharply away and kicked Salz on.

They cantered on in what was nearly a dream, until, crossing a lawn between two bands of bushes, she heard someone yell in alarm.

Salzpfeffer spooked and Eva gave a small gasp of shock, jolting fully into the present and reining her pony quickly in. She looked quickly in the direction of the yell. 'Who's that? Are you alright?' She patted Salz and rode cautiously forward. Whoever it was had just ridden by the bushes, and she could no longer see them.

'Princess Eva?' a familiar voice called. 'Is that _you_?'

Eva rounded the corner to see, reining in his horse with a dumbstruck expression on his face, Captain Wang.

'Yes, it's me,' she said. 'Are you alright, Captain?'

'I'm fine, thank-you, but your_ Highness! _What are you _doing_?'

'Um...' Eva felt perplexed. 'I'm riding? I couldn't sleep, and I decided just to take a ride to see everything for – ' she stopped abruptly, and changed her tack. 'Is there something odd about that, Captain?'

Yao had managed to mostly get rid of the surprise on his face. 'You're _riding_. _Riding. _But... why? How? I've never known a woman to...'

Oh. So _that's _what it was.

'In Germania, women do ride – but we use a side-saddle, like this,' Eva started to explain. 'Because we wear skirts, both legs go on one side of the horse, rather than straddling it, do you see?'

'Quite,' Yao said, rather weakly, Eva thought. But they were going to be spending a lot of time together in the future, so it might be good to take the opportunity to get on good terms with him.

'Would you like to try it?' she offered, dismounting swiftly and taking Salz's reins. 'It's a little strange, but really not too difficult...'

Yao seemed to pull himself together at that.

'What an excellent idea!' he beamed, sliding gracefully off his bay and leading it over to her. 'I am eager to see how this ingenious invention works. If it can indeed tame the wild horse to the extent that it may be ridden by a woman...'

'Up you get, then,' Eva said shortly. Yao placed one boot in the single stirrup, and levered himself onto Salz's back. He automatically swung the his leg over, and Eva suppressed as a smile as he felt for the stirrup that wasn't there, before awkwardly bringing it back over again.

'Which foot goes in the, er, stirrup?'

'Your left one.

'It's quite comfortable,' he said, settling himself in the saddle, 'but really quite strange... agh!'

Salzpfeffer chose that moment to be scared by his shadow and snatched himself from Eva's grasp, skittering and side-stepping across the grass with Yao hanging on for dear life.

'Sit back and don't tense up!' Eva called helpfully, as he was thrown about. She kept a firm hold on Yao's horse's head, lest it should get any ideas, but it stood quite stoically, looking on. 'If you just relax...!'

'It would help,' Yao called, through gritted teeth, 'If I could actually steer with this_ – gaisi!' _

_Thump. _

Eva gasped and grabbed Yao's horse's reins, pulling it along with her as she hurried over. 'Captain! Are you alright?'

Salzpfeffer trotted to a halt a few metres away, tossing his head and giving her a cheeky, sidelong glance. She tutted at him and turned to Yao, who was getting to his feet and dusting himself down, looking humbled.

'I'm sorry about that,' she offered, 'Salzpfeffer's a bit... well, _spirited, _sometimes, and I suppose that – '

'Not to worry, Princess,' Yao cut her off. Then he smiled a little ruefully. 'I suppose that riding side-saddle was not as easy as I first thought.'

Eva tried not to smirk, and put on a casual tone. 'Once you get the hang of it, it's really quite simple. With practise, one can quite easily canter, jump, hunt...'

'Hunt?' Yao echoed, looking incredulous, but also impressed. 'Are you quite serious, Princess?'

Eva nodded serenely. 'Quite.'

Salz came forward at that moment and nudged her in the back.

'Your horse is very elegant to look at,' Captain Yao complimented her, Eva suspected to change the subject. 'And what did you call him?'

'Salzpfeffer,' Eva said. 'It means salt-pepper in old Germanic. Because of his coat.'

Yao laughed. 'Sal-tsu-peh-pa. I must say, sometimes I find your words very hard to say!'

Eva bit her lip. 'I'm sure that I'll find the language of the middle kingdom just as difficult. Of course, I know a little, but...'

'I will tutor you during our journey, if you like,' he offered. 'If you arrive knowing the ways of the Higashi courts, everyone will be most impressed. And I can teach you the basics of calligraphy, too.'

Eva felt herself warming a little to Captain Yao. It had been scarcely two minutes since he had taken a humiliating tumble from her horse, and he already seemed friendly again, putting his services at her disposal to make her transition to her new life as easy as possible. He was kind – or at least, pleasant – and he was resilient. And what he was offering to teach her was gold dust.

'If you are certain it is not too much trouble, Captain, I would like that very much. In fact, I can't thank you enough.'

'Think nothing of it,' he said, giving a small bow. Then he turned back to his horse. 'This is Hao Tian – it means "Clear Sky". He is a Russean-Arab crossbreed.'

'He's gorgeous,' Eva said, 'How old is he?'

'Eight. I've been riding him for three years...'

They walked back to the stables, talking horses all the way. Then they went their separate ways to prepare for Eva's official departure – Eva reminding Captain Yao in innocent tones that he should probably change his jacket as it had grass stains on it.

~O~


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks again, everyone, for the reviews! I am so happy that people are enjoying this story. All of you deserve a big hug and a cyber cookie. :D **

**Sorry that this chapter is so short. It's an exception, not the rule, I promise!**

**~O~**

**Chapter 4 – Only Fools**

_**Elizabeta**_

It feels so very odd not to have Eva here.

The King, Gilbert, Roderich, Vash and me, and every person who could squeeze into the city from ten miles around gathered at the gates to wave goodbye to the Princess. As the convoy rattled by – surprisingly sombre, so as not to attract unwanted attention, I was told – I got my last glimpse of Eva, leaning out of the window, waving genteelly with a smile on her face.

She has always been so brave.

I came to the castle to be Eva's lady-in-waiting when I was only seven. I suppose one could say my profession in life was to be her best friend. But I wouldn't have changed it for the world. She was – is – a paragon of a good companion. She made sure that I felt at home in the castle from my first day here.

But now she is gone, will I stay? I know that I want to. Over the years, I have become attached to... other people in this family almost as much as Eva. One other person in particular.

It's been almost two weeks now, and a dark cloud still seems to hang over the castle. I think we all feel rather like a part of it – us – has been ripped out, and we're raw and hurting until we heal and learn to live without her.

The worst thing has been the atmosphere between Vash and Roderich. I think that Vash blames his brother for not preventing the marriage, seeing as Roderich is so involved in politics these days. I can understand Vash's point of view, and his need to blame someone for this. But... I can't bring myself to side against Roderich, and I believe that he and the King did what was best for everyone. And I think that Eva knew what she was agreeing to. It was her decision to leave, in the end. Nobody made it for her.

Vash still sees Eva as a child. He's always been so protective of her – I wouldn't want to presume, but I think he sees her as a link to their mother, who died when he was only very small. I've seen the portrait, and I can say that the mother and daughter are very similar. In a way, Roderich used to be like that, too; but when he started being involved in affairs of state, he spent less and less time with Eva and Vash. And me, for that matter. I don't think he did it because he loved them any less – merely because he felt that he should do his duties. That's what I believe.

(Now Eva is gone, will Roderich spend more time with me? Or none at all?)

So (I hypothesize): Vash feels like he lost first his mother, then his brother, and now Eva – the latter _to_ his brother. And of course, the only people whom he can take it out on are Ludwig and Roderich. If only Roderich would show his feelings a little more! Then he could convince his brother that he loves him still, and our family might begin to heal.

Or will we be torn apart? Was Eva the only thing keeping us together? (My only link to Roderich?)

How I wish I knew what Eva was doing now! Is she happy? Is she well? Is she _alive? _

That Captain Yao and his troops will keep my little sister safe if they know what's good for them. I half-wish that I had gone with her, despite what my father says.

(Would anyone really miss me here? I would miss them.)

I went to see Salzpfeffer in the stables today. I've always been good with horses, and I spent some time keeping him company, rubbing his nose and speaking to him quietly. I wonder if he understands or minds particularly that Eva has gone – I doubt it. Horses often don't notice that sort of thing, and though it may seem callous, that's just the way it is. They don't pine the way dogs or humans do; they don't form close, irreplaceable attachments with one in particular.

Sometimes, I wish I were a horse. It would be simpler.

~O~

**'...And we're clear.'**

**'Blehhhhh! Okay, Cut, print and kill the pig.'**

**~Krusty, The Simpsons Movie **

**Sorry. I just felt the need to quote that. Sorry again for the shortness. A longer update _will_ be coming soon to a screen near you...**

**Izzyxox**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 – Between Lives**

_**Eva**_

One of the things that took the most getting used to was going to sleep moving.

The convoy didn't stop in every town they passed, or even pitch camp every evening – so quite often Eva would lie down in her carriage, last thing at night, and wake up with the unsettling and perfectly accurate feeling that she was going to be moved while she was unconscious. But within a few days, she was used to it, and even came to find the rise and fall of the road and the creak of suspension oddly comforting. It gave her something to concentrate on other than her thoughts.

She felt an ache at being away from her family, especially 'Liza – it seemed that every other moment she was thinking of something she simply _must _tell her friend, before remembering unhappily that it was impossible. The other women in the convoy were kind and polite, and considerate – they did her the favour of speaking slowly, so she could decipher their words and match them with the rote-learnt Middle Kingdom vocabulary in her head. They also provided her with a small feeling of comradeship amongst all these soldiers, although she was separated from them by her privileges and status. Unless she slept curled in their wagon and rolled up her sleeves to cook meals, she couldn't truly be one of them.

Her other main source of company was Captain Yao. His Germanian was the best in the whole convoy, and he spoke to her in it whenever they met, though she noticed he was beginning to subtly incorporate words of his own language into their conversations. Each evening, she would go to him for half an hour, and he would spend it teaching her how to write with a calligraphy brush, or how to bow in the manner of the high court, and once, to her amusement, the correct manner of drinking green tea.

'Do people honestly have to go through this every time they want a drink?' Eva had asked amusedly. 'On the few occasions I've had tea, I drank it the same way as water, and no lightning bolt hit me from the sky.'

'It's a tradition,' Yao had said, holding his own cup neatly in two hands with a practised elegance. 'And although it may seem pointless, such things should be upheld.'

'You must consider us Germanian utter barbarians,' Eva commented. 'Allowing our women-folk to ride and drinking tea one-handed.'

Yao shook his head. 'It takes a little getting used to, but it isn't barbaric; just a little strange.'

Just then, there was a shout and the convoy ground to a halt.

'What's this?' Yao got to his feet and opened the door of his carriage. Outside stood an Officer, who had a tight hold on the scruff of the neck of a rebellious-looking foot-soldier. He barked something out in the language of the Middle Kingdom – or _Hanyu_, as they called it – and held up a bundle of some long, cylindrical things wrapped in red paper.

Whatever they were, they certainly had a strong affect on Yao. He hissed, '_Shen me?_' _what?, _and then turned to Eva. 'Excuse me, your Highness,' he said, bowing quickly. 'I must go and deal with a discrepancy amongst my men.'

'Of course,' Eva said numbly, and before she could ask any more questions, Yao had disappeared through the door with the Officer, shutting it with a force that wasn't quite a slam. As soon as he was gone, Eva reopened it and sat listening.

A few minutes later she heard the sound of shouting floated in to her – and with a jolt, she realised that the voice was Captain Yao's, and, furthermore, he sounded quite terrifying. She winced, feeling thankful that she wasn't the unfortunate being berated, and also feeling her respect for Captain Yao rise. So he wasn't just a diplomat after all...

She edged closer to the doorway to try and pick up what was being said, but the words were passing very quickly, and she only caught a few. 'Dangerous... Shameful... Risk to us all... You should be... When we arrive in Higashi...'

And then, as abruptly as it had started, the tirade was over. There were a few moments silence, in which Eva felt that everyone in the procession must be holding their breath. Then there was a command, a jolt, and they started on their way once more.

A few minutes later, and Yao appeared alongside the doorway and swung himself in again. Eva noticed wonderingly that he looked exactly as serene and cheerful as he had before, and for a moment she wondered whether she had made some sort of misunderstanding.

'Captain, what happened?' she asked, rather timidly.

He grimaced, and gestured to the bundle of red things left on the table. 'It seems that a few of the lower-ranking soldiers used this trip as an opportunity to illegally traffic goods.'

'Of what sort?' Eva asked curiously.

'Higashi imperial Fireworks. They stowed them under the boards of the wagon and sold them illicitly on the journey here, and continued to sell them at every stop up until today. One of my officers has just discovered the few they had not managed to get rid of yet.'

'Fireworks?' Eva repeated, feeling something between alarm and fascination. 'I've only ever seen them once or twice in my life.'

'Yes, they are very valuable in the West – and very dangerous to transport. If a single spark had got through to those fireworks, they would have likely blown the whole wagon to smithereens. It was an inexcusable thing to do.'

Eva looked at the bundle with trepidation. 'So what will we do with the rest of them?'

'Sell them, of course,' Yao said matter-of-factly.

'But I thought – '

'To destroy these fireworks would be an obscene waste. And besides,' he said, nodding towards the bundle, 'they are far less dangerous if they are supervised. But the stupidity of leaving a huge stock of fireworks secretly in a _wood wagon_...' Yao's eyes flashed. Those men will not be keeping their jobs once we return to Higashi.'

Eva nodded, and Yao returned to his lesson, but she continued to regard the fireworks contemplatively. Eventually, the temptation became too strong, and, in a moment when his back was turned, she reached forward and slipped three of the cylinders into her small satchel.

Imperial fireworks... such things were sure to be useful sometime. And besides, now she was supervising them.

**A/N: The updates are coming thick and fast! Applaud me! Actually, I should probably slow them down a little bit, or people won't bother to review. And in my opinion, reviews are worth their weight in gold... Wait... Reviews are, erm, very valuable indeed. To me, at least. **

**So. Constructive criticism is where it's all at, so let me know if there was anything amiss in this chapter! I live to make your reading experience more enjoyable, good fanfictioners. Just say the word! **

**I just realised that I haven't done a disclaimer yet this fic. And so, for formalities sake, I'll put one here:**

**I do not, have never, and most probably never will own Hetalia. It is owned by the highly honourable Hidekaz Himaruya (whose name I have possibly spelt wrong in one or more places), who at this moment is no doubt rolling in piles of money and laughing gleefully. Or not, considering the amount of illegal filesharing on the net today...  
>But I digress. I may not own Hetalia, but I <strong>_**do **_**own the Germania-Middle Kingdom Alternate Universe. If you wish to write a fic in this universe, let me know, because I'd love to read it!**

**Will that do? I hope so. Lawyers are expensive. **

**Auf Wiedersehen! **

**Izzyxox **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm sorry, everyone. I must have been pretty tired last night when I updated, because somehow, I ended up posting the last chapter of an old TMM fanfiction... in this story!**

**Sometimes my own stupidity astounds me. **

**Here's the real chapter... and although it's short, at least it's for the right fandom, which is an improvement. Enjoy! **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6 – What to do<strong>

_**Elizabeta**_

The atmosphere hasn't been improving here. In fact, Vash and Roderich seem to grow more antagonistic with every week that passes; they don't even bother to keep their anger under wraps anymore. Unless something is done, and quickly, the damage between the two of them will be irreparable.

I on a long, solitary ride on my horse, Paripa, and as we galloped through the familiar heaths and woods (they seem so abandoned without Eva), I thought about the problem, long and hard. In the end, I came to the conclusion that the only thing for me to do was to make the two of them sort it out directly between them.

If it were a quarrel between two women, I would be confident that this would be an infallible solution. But with men, I fear it may not be so simple. I know that the male members of this family are generally uncomfortable with discussing their feelings, or, for that matter, showing that they have feelings at all.

I expect this reluctance to show emotion is one of the things that brought about this tension in the first place. Expression of emotion is vital to the building of trust – and Vash and Roderich don't trust one another. Vash doesn't trust Roderich's good intentions; Roderich doesn't trust Vash's judgement or reliability as a confidante.

But I am writing all this in my journal, rather than doing anything about it. Truth be told, I am scared to. I may be right, but then again, I may be wrong. Supposing their relationship is ruined, despite my efforts – or, indeed, because of them? Will I be despised and cast out by the family, thought a meddling fool?

Despite the risks, I must do _something_. To stand by and watch a family tear itself apart would be worse than to try, and fail, to mend it. And if it works, maybe they will be grateful? Appreciate what I have done, see me as more than his little sister's companion? _His. _I will be doing it for him, in part.

But I will also be doing it for Eva. What sort of woman would allow her friend's brothers to start a feud in her absence? I must try to keep Eva's family together; I will remind them that although Eva is not here, they are still a family. I will make her decision to leave us to go to the Middle Kingdom a good one.

But she must make it there. She must. Otherwise... all the talking in the world would not keep this family together.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 – A Raid**

**Eva**

One evening in high summer, Eva sat in her night-gown with a group of women in their large, canvas-roofed sleeping-wagon, listening as they mended clothes and told stories, and learning more with every sentence that passed between them. It was her habit to visit them in their moving home near the back of the convoy for a little while before she went to bed, as she found this was the time her mind was quickest to absorb new words and expressions.

Her _Hanyu _was improving at an almost alarming rate – she found that she could understand nearly everything that the women around her said, now. She began to discern the differences between Yao's polished court language and their casual working dialect, and learn the phrases that were quite acceptable in the company of a group of serving-women, but would probably have her executed if she mentioned them during a tea ceremony.

The sun shone, and though they were crossing through wild terrain and often went for days without passing even a village, the women's spirits were high. The long, light evenings passed with talk and laughter, and a general air of optimism. They were almost halfway there, and no disaster had befallen them. Life was good.

But of course, fate will strike when she is least expected.

A woman had just made a pun that Eva, with a rush of pride, had understood, when suddenly the wagon jarred, jolted, and came to a standstill.

A few people exclaimed in alarm – a cluster of pots and pans in one corner jangled together, and Eva stiffened.

'Why are we stopping?' one woman hissed, looking anxious.

Nobody offered an answer, and instead sat listening. Eva could hear shouting coming from the head of the convoy, and the clop of horse's hooves. Their horse shifted and snorted uneasily.

And then came a sound that made Eva's blood run cold – the unmistakeable clash of metal against metal.

'We're being attacked!' yelped a woman close to Eva, and someone started to cry. Everyone was talking at once, getting increasingly louder and more hysterical, and outside, the sounds of shouting and fighting grew. Their horse began to whicker nervously, and jogged from foot to foot, swaying the whole wagon.

The worst had happened. They were being raided. _What should she do?_

'Everyone, _quiet!_' Eva snarled, with a ferocity that surprised even her.

The women around her were silent, every gaze falling to her, their expressions ranging from insulted to stunned and everything in between.

'We can't let them know we're here,' Eva continued at a quick whisper, when she was confident that she had their attention. 'Once they know where the women are, they have the advantage, because we're the vulnerable ones who need protecting. So someone put out the lamp, and then we'll stay silent and _listen_.'

There was a pause, and then their little lamp sputtered out, smoke coiling into the air and leaving them in the dim blue twilight below the canvas. Someone whimpered, and several voices shushed at them.

'I think that we're winning,' a woman to Eva's right whispered. 'Don't you hear that the fighting is moving further away?'

'We're pushing them back, that's good sign,' another voice agreed.

'Or they could be circling around to the back-'

'Don't say that!'

'Ah, I wish I knew what was happening!'

Then Eva had an idea – one that she later realised was very brave, but very stupid. 'I'm going to go outside and see what's happening,' she said firmly.

Several women forgot themselves and shrieked. 'Princess, you _can't – '_

'It's nearly dark. Nobody will notice me if I stay quiet and close to the wagons. And I'll return in a few minutes tell you everything,' Eva promised. Then she reached across the group and grabbed a large, cast-iron wok from the pile in the corner. 'If any of the raiders do see me, I'll hit them with this.'

People were still shaking their heads. 'But Princess Eva, if anything were to happen to you...'

'Wish me luck,' Eva whispered, then shouldered her satchel and slid out of the wagon before anybody could stop her.

For a moment she stood there frozen, clutching her wok and her gaze flickering over the area around her for Russean raiders. Cautiously deciding that the coast was clear, she dropped back toward the wagon and started stealthily forward. No noise was coming from the women's wagon –thank goodness, they were taking her instructions to heart and staying quiet.

She patted the horse's neck a few times to calm it down, and then slunk forward, barefoot and in her cotton nightdress, feeling fragile, barely there, like a wraith in the blue twilight. The sounds of the fight were still ahead of her, and Eva noticed that the ground where she stood was marked by countless horse's hooves, a few arrows, and something dark and liquid that made her wince and look elsewhere. This place was now deserted – they were indeed pushing the raiders back, then.

As she crept onwards, the tracks and blood grew more frequent, and the sounds of battle nearer. She stepped quickly across an open space between two carriages, and craned her neck. She might be able to see something now...

Then she started back in shock.

She was standing by her own carriage, and it was utterly ransacked.

The gleaming wooden door hung off its hinges; the bronze knob had been wrenched out. A pillow seemed to have burst, scattering feathers everywhere, and her large gilt looking-glass was missing from the wall. Eva felt a cold fear clench her stomach and tingle in her hands and feet. If she had been inside, she would surely have been dead by now... or as good as.

She inched nearer, peering through the door with horrified fascination. A few stray feathers floated by, and a strange clunking seemed to come from within. What was that sound? It was the sound of... of...

Searching. There was someone inside.

Eva gasped and pulled back out of sight just as a dark-clad figure – a man –straightened up, presumably having finished his hunt. She heard the creak of the floor, and a pause. Maybe he was looking around her room for more things to take. Eva felt angry – he had no right to be there. It was wrong, unacceptable, and this was what she was working to stop. But then her anger was replaced by cold fear, as she heard the clomp of boots coming towards the doorway, towards her. He would be on her in five steps... three... one –

And then he stepped out, laden with armfuls of _her _possessions, and saw her.

For a second, they stared at one another. She, a pale, ghostly figure hovering outside a pillaged carriage – he, a wild-haired, barbaric horseman, looking for all the world like her old anxious visualizations of Captain Yao.

Eva recovered first.

She gave a strangled yell and started forward, her mind working a few steps behind her body. She raised her arms, lifting the wok high above her head, and watched his narrow eyes widen in surprise as he realised too what she was going to do –

'YAAH!'

DOONGGGG.

The man crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

After that, everything seemed to happen at the same time. The man crumpled at her feet and lay still. A great cheer went up from the fighters at the head of the convoy. Vaguely in the distance, she saw a group of horsemen riding away, tightly bunched, on stocky, shaggy ponies quite different from their own long-legged steeds. And then, ahead of her but getting rapidly closer, she heard the sound of thundering hooves and frantic voices-

'A horseman came this way-'

'Must have spotted that her carriage was the best-'

'We'll be too late!'

'Princess! PRINCESS EVA!'

She stood and watched dumbly as five horses scudded to a stop in front of her, kicking up a cloud of dust around their dancing hooves. Then the man on the largest horse, the one whose voice she recognised, leapt off with an alarming speed and sprinted out of the dusk toward her, clutching a sword and a lantern.

'Yao,' she said weakly, 'Yao, we did see them off?' She spoke in _Hanyu, _but her voice trembled and she wondered whether he could understand her at all.

'Eva...' Yao stood for a second, staring – he looked, for once, absolutely lost for words. 'What... what happened?'

'I hit him on the head,' Eva said, realising what a sight she must look to him, standing outside her carriage in only her nightdress, holding a wok. She hastened to explain. 'I was with the other women, but then I came back to see what was happening and he was going through my things and – '

'Here.' Yao quickly pulled off his thick officer's jacket and slung it over her shoulders; Eva realised she was trembling all over, whether from shock, or cold, or both, she couldn't tell. She was clutching the wok so tightly that her bones were showing white through her knuckles. 'Now, Eva tell me this. Did he hurt you at all?' he said in Germanian, and his voice sounded quieter and more dangerous than she had ever heard it before. Captain Yao, the way looked now, with his drawn sword and his thunderous expression, was perhaps the most frightening thing she had seen all evening.

Eva lapsed into her native language gratefully. 'N-no... I hit him over the head before he could do anything. Yao, I'm sorry, it was stupid of me to leave the other women, and – and – ' she wished that she could lean on his shoulder, to be comforted and protected, and just cry her heart out until the shock was over. But she know enough about the etiquette of the Middle Kingdom to settle on hugging herself and gulping a few times.

'Heaven has smiled on us today,' Yao said quietly. 'We could so easily have lost you. I wish all my men had your courage, Eva. You may have been reckless, but you were brave and resourceful too.'

'I don't know what came over me,' Eva said, laughing shakily.

'It will certainly make an interesting story to tell when we reach Higashi,' Yao smiled, but Eva noticed that behind his expression, he still looked wild-eyed and worried, and his face was pale. She felt both touched and guilty; because of her stupidity, she had nearly been killed, and what would that have meant for him?

'Did anyone die?' she asked bluntly, bringing her mind back to the bigger picture. 'And did we kill any of them?'

'There were a few injuries on our side, but nobody was killed,' Yao reassured her. 'However, three of the raiders were brought down in the fight.'

Eva shuddered and looked down.

'And this man,' Yao said brusquely, lifting his curved sword, 'should be disposed of before he wakes up.'

Eva looked up in shock. 'But he didn't do anything!'

'Only because _you_ did not give him the chance to.'

Eva frowned. 'But it still seems wrong to kill him!'

Yao deliberated for a moment, and then sighed. 'I will spare him, but only because it is your wish, Princess. We will leave him behind on the road to wake up in his own time. If wild beasts reach him before he comes to, that is his misfortune.'

Eva bit her lip and decided not to argue further. She was too drained, and her shrewder side knew that it was purely good luck that the raider hadn't harmed her.

A horse stamped behind them, and Eva remembered with a jolt that they weren't alone – there was a guard of horsemen behind Yao watching their every move and waiting to see what must be done. So she gave a small bow, and prepared a sentence in proper _Hanyu. _'Thank-you very much, Captain, for sparing his life. And congratulations on your victory.'

Yao returned her bow. 'You are most welcome, Princess. And now, I think it would be best if you returned to the women's wagon, for your own safety, and to make them aware of our victory.'

'Of course. And I think it would be best if I slept there until...' she trailed off, and gestured to the wrecked carriage behind her.

'That is a good idea,' he agreed. 'Shall I escort you there?'

Eva shook her head. 'I shall be able to walk back by myself, I think.'

Yao gave a brief smile, and Eva was relieved to see that it was becoming more genuine. 'I've no doubt you will, Princess.' He sighed, and lowered his voice. 'But I'd appreciate it if you would take more care of yourself in future. You had me quite worried.'

Eva nodded. She would have liked to talk more, but she was aware that as Captain, he probably had a great deal to do, and so she just pushed her arms into his jacket, gave a sweeping bow to the whole group, and set off back to the cabin.

Behind her, she was quite certain she heard Captain Yao sigh as he swung up onto his horse. He mumbled something that could have been, 'What am I going to do with her?'

Then one of the other soldiers said something she didn't quite catch, and all of them laughed except for Yao, who barked an order with a brusqueness that had all of them silent, before yanking their horses around and riding back the way they had come.

Eva climbed back into the cabin, to be greeted by a group of relived women, all squealing and scolding and fussing over her as though she were ten years old. She reassured them and explained all that had happened, and they began to bustle about with great business, setting up an extra bed and brewing her a cup of hibiscus tea – to settle her after her ordeal, they said. Eva would have preferred warm milk and honey, as she used to drink at home, but she didn't like to argue and cause any more trouble.

Eventually, though, Eva was settled in bed, her cup was empty, and the myriad clucking women bowed and left her alone. She was near the door of the wagon, and she could see a long rectangle of road and sky through a narrow chink through the canvas. There were a few shouts, and the convoy started to move again, the horses plodding forward, settling back into the familiar rhythms. They had lost time to make up for.

A few minutes passed, and then, outside the door, Eva saw a dark shape on the roadside as they passed slowly by. With a shock, she realised it was the man whom she had knocked unconscious – he still hadn't come to. Part of her worried, hoping that she wouldn't cause his death; another, more selfish part willed him to stay unconscious until they were long gone. She shuddered at how close she had come to death that day, and pulled Captain Yao's jacket closer around her, huddling into its soft, red lining, and curling her fingers into the rich gold braid of the sleeves. With a sigh, she relaxed, and in a few minutes, the warmth and her fatigue and the creak of the wagon enveloped her mind in sleep.

The women told her the next day that the Captain had come by an hour or so later, to ensure her comfort and retrieve his clothing, only to find that she was still wearing it, and, moreover, already asleep. They giggled and said that he had very gallantly told them not to wake her, and that she could keep the jacket – and that it suited her well, although it was several sizes too big.

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><p><strong>AN: Well, that's another chapter trotted off! Huzzah! I'm afraid you won't be getting another update for a week or so, because I'm going on a tour to the south of France with my youth choir. Somewhere near Bordeaux. Those frogs won't know what's hit them by the time we're done with them! **

**Anyway. I hope that you enjoyed the chapter, it was one of my favourites to write. Au revoir for now!**

**Izzyxox**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 – Time to Act**

**Elizabeta**

I have decided. Today is the day when I will talk to Roderich and Vash. I have just come back up to my room from a quiet breakfast – scarcely ten words were spoken between the four of us. It only impressed upon me further the need for something to be done.

Somehow, I think that Gilbert has guessed what I am about. Ludwig doesn't to notice anything that goes on around him emotionally anymore; he seems always lost in his own thoughts. But his brother gave me a look after breakfast that seemed to say, 'I'm not sure what you're going to do, but I hope it works'.

What I am going to do is start at the top of the problem and work downward. Vash first, and then Roderich, and then, maybe, the King – although I do not know that I will keep my nerve and dare talk to him.

At first I thought that Vash would be the hardest challenge, but right now, I find myself most nervous about talking to Roderich. Vash is a brother for me – it's natural to talk about things such as this with one's brother. But Roderich is... different.

The irony of the situation is that from the outside, nothing seems to be wrong. The state is functioning perfectly; Ludwig, Vash and Roderich all continue to fulfil their duties perfectly, like clockwork, almost. We keep our problems locked away inside us. Deadened.

But there is no point writing anything more here. I will go now and find Vash, and so help me God, I will bring this family back together. I wish myself luck and sign off.

Oh my... Heavens above, what a day this has been!

I scarcely know where to start. I have been told that the beginning is the best place to start, so I will use the starting point of the day to begin – I'm not making sense, am I? I still feel too flustered to think straight. The long and short of it is: I will start from the moment that I left my chamber this morning.

I headed straight for Vash's room, hoping that he wouldn't simply slam the door in my face. However, when I knocked on the door, I found that the room was empty – or that he was not answering. Next I traversed the grounds, calling by the archery butts to see if he could be there – but he was not. Feeling rather downcast that my plans were failing before I had even seen one person, I made my way over to the stables, as a last hope. As I approached, I froze, hearing a soft voice coming from inside. I moved closer very quietly, and recognised it, with surprise, as Vash's. Who was he talking to? I quietly came into the stable, and before me stood Vash, standing by Salzpfeffer's stall.

He was rubbing the little horse's nose and talking to him quietly, while he reached into his pocket for a few raw carrot-tops. He held them under Salz's nose, and Salz snaffled them up greedily, looking more cheerful than I had seen him since – well, since Eva left.

When Vash saw me, he froze, and opened his mouth to speak, eyebrows coming together in a defensive scowl.

'I'm glad that someone is spending time with Salz,' I commended, before he could say anything. 'I come to see him every few days or so, but I must be a poor substitute for his mistress.'

Vash's scowl deepened.

'Do you have any more of those carrot-tops? Can I feed him some?'

He paused for a moment, then held out his hand. 'Here.' I was afraid that he would leave me there, but thankfully he stayed, standing beside Salz and continuing to talk quietly to him.

We stood in the stall for a little while, fussing over the gelding, who was clearly adoring the attention, and discussing various everyday topics. Not wanting to press him too soon, and glad that he was at least talking in full sentences again, I didn't bring up the reason why I had come. Gradually (and unsurprisingly, considering our location), our conversation veered towards horses, and I raised the subject of physcology.

'I don't think that horses really have attachments the way we do,' I said, nodding towards Salz. 'They naturally live in herds; they don't become as fond of individuals as humans.'

Vash was suddenly frowning. 'I don't agree,' he muttered.

I was curious, and sensed I might be getting somewhere. 'Why not?'

'Well, firstly, some humans are incapable of forming attachments, so it's not really a fair generalisation.'

I gave a wince, guessing who he was talking about.

'And I've known some horses that _do _form attachments, and pine – it's just that they don't do it as obviously as humans, or even dogs.'

I felt intrigued. 'Do you have an example?'

Vash looked slightly uncomfortable, and hesitated before continuing. 'I have an example right here. Salzpfeffer's clearly been suffering from loneliness ever since... Eva left.'

I was really surprised by that. 'Salz? You're joking. He's fine!' I made a sweeping gesture with my arm, and the pony started backwards, snorting in reproach. 'Gleaming coat! Fit and good-natured! Eating like... well, like a horse!'

Vash smiled a bit at that. 'How often did you say that you came here to see him?'

I thought. 'Once every few days. I might stop by his stable when I'm going to ride Peripa.'

He hesitated. 'I come here every day, sometimes twice. I ride him, too.'

I was shocked. 'Really?'

He nodded, looking embarrassed. 'And over the months I've noticed that he's also – I mean he's pining. Little things are wrong. He'll whinny loudly if someone comes into the stable, only to lose interest when he sees who it is. When he's out riding, he's more despondent than he used to be. And – I know this is rather whimsical – he just doesn't seem to be as happy as he used to be. Although he's alright, the spark's gone out of him.'

I paused, thinking. Could he be right – could a horse be pining, but just keeping it hidden? Or was it just Vash projecting his own feelings of loneliness onto the horse?

Then inspiration hit like a bolt of lightning. I could bring Vash around. I knew it. 'You may be right,' I said slowly, reaching forward to rub the base of Salz's ears. 'Salz is just better at concealing his emotions that most people are. I suppose every person – every horse – is different, according to the amount that they _show_ how they're feeling, and the way that they deal with it.'

Vash nodded, looking gratified that I had taken him up on his theory. 'Exactly. Just because a horse doesn't show his emotions, doesn't mean they are not there.'

I took a deep breath, then spoke. 'But in that case, couldn't the same be said for humans? Just because a man doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve doesn't mean that he's heartless. It doesn't mean that inside, he isn't feeling loneliness, or guilt... or love.'

I stopped. Vash was looking at me with a strange mixture of surprise, anger, and uncertainty on his face.

'Roderich may not show how much he misses his family, but that doesn't mean he isn't missing you inside,' I said, quietly and carefully.

I half-expected Vash to lose his temper, to insult me and run out and throw my words back into my face. 'So that's what this is about.' Vash gave a short, bitter laugh. 'I can assure you that Roderich has no heart, 'Liza.'

'He feels as bad as you do, Vash! He misses her – he misses you!'

'He was the one who sent her to her death!'

'She's not dead yet, Vash. Roderich made a decision for his country. He gave her the choice. He had faith in her, and he loves her.'

Vash pulled away from the stable and stood straight, his voice rising. 'He manipulated her! And so did Ludwig! Neither of them have so much as apologized!'

'They love Eva, and they love you.'

'You can't prove that that they love us.'

'Well, you can't prove that they _don't_!'

Vash stood silent, glaring at me. I had played a trump card, and he knew it.

'And besides,' I said quietly. 'I _can _prove to you that your family love you and Eva. By the end of the day, both Roderich and the King will have come to you and apologized for sending Eva away on such uncertain stakes.'

Vash looked surprised at that. I felt rather surprised at myself. 'What do you mean?' he looked wary. 'Liza, what are you going to do?'

I drew myself up. 'I'm going to talk to your family, and sort things out between you once and for all. You may be incomplete, but that doesn't mean that you are broken.'

I left before he could say anything. I had taken a gamble – I had given myself success as the only option. And I had to find Roderich as soon as I could.

Having decided to seek Roderich out, I went first to his room, steeling myself to knock on the door and not flee back up the corridor. The very _idea_ of being in _his_ room scared me senseless, so I was immensely glad to discover that he was not there.

My next guess at his whereabouts was the ballroom, in which we keep the pianoforte, a beautiful contraption the like of which I have seen nowhere else in Germania. Although it often needs maintenance of one sort or another, when it plays, it is like a dream – the sound of its notes can capture the essence of paradise or hell with equal clarity. Roderich loves to play it, and I know fewa better ways to spend a quiet afternoon than to sit in the ballroom and listen to him quietly... and to covertly watch him, when he is so absorbed in his music that he sees nothing else.

Today, as I opened the door to the ballroom, he was playing a fast, furious étude by a Western composer whose name I forget. I slipped in and went to sit in my usual place, the wide window-seat, waiting patiently for him to finish his piece. His fingers moved over the keys so fast that they were a blur, his hair hung over his face and his lips were pursed in concentration. He was glaring at the music with a ferocity that, if Vash had seen it, would have put to an end all doubts as to the existence of Roderich's emotions.

As he played, I prepared myself for the conversation ahead: making a list of points to make about the piece, about politics, about our life now, and planning ways to possibly broach the subject that concerned me. I had managed to reach Vash by talking to him naturally, and I planned to communicate with Roderich in the same way.

He finished the piece with a great crashing of chords, pausing for a moment to let the notes echo and fade into the ballroom. Then he lifted his fingers from the keys and foot from the pedal, and sat for a moment, deep in thought. I waited as quietly as I could for him to notice me.

But seconds ticked by, and he didn't.

So I steeled myself, closed my eyes, and spoke. 'That was astoundingly good.'

He swivelled to face me with a start. 'Elizabeta – I'm sorry, I didn't hear you come in. And thank-you very much – this is a new piece for me, I started it last week.'

'It's fine,' I said, as smoothly as I could. 'And don't mention it. I enjoyed listening.'

There was a moment's silence that seemed to ring around the room.

'My piano playing has never been wonderful,' I said, purely to break it. 'I enjoy it, but it's not my forte. No pun intended.' I gave a short, nervous laugh, and then shut my mouth, feeling stupid, wishing I hadn't spoken.

There was another moment's silence, in which Roderich stared expressionlessly into the middle distance, and I wondered whether to excuse myself and leave. To call it off, give up my insane quest, run up to my room and lock myself in and cry...

But then, with a suddenness that made me start backwards, he got up from the piano and crossed the room in a few short strides to sit by me at the window. 'Was there anything in particular that you came here for, Elizabeta?' he said, in a way I could easily have interpreted as brushing me off, hinting that I should be gone. But then I remembered Salz, and Vash's argument that the emotion was there, if you knew how to look.

But supposing Vash was wrong about Salz? Supposing we were both wrong?

But then, I reasoned, if Roderich didn't care at all, why should he come over at all?

I decided that if I wanted Roderich to be honest with me, I would have to lead by example. 'As a matter of fact, yes.' I took a deep breath. 'It's about Vash. And Ludwig. And Gilbert, and Eva, and... me.'

He raised his eyebrows. 'About our family?'

'About the group of people whom I want to _remain _a family.'

I watched him carefully, and I saw a flash of _something _travel across this face. 'Go on,' he allowed after a moment.

'Eva's leaving has pulled all of us apart. Ludwig is distant. You're barely here either. Even Gilbert is reserved, and Vash... Vash, in his own way is distraught. But he believes that his family don't care for him.' I paused. 'He thinks that you and Ludwig manipulated Eva into going to her death.'

The best way to put it is that Roderich snapped. He got to his feet and paced back across the room to slam both hands down onto the piano keys with a huge, discordant CRASH.

'What does he know of how I feel?' he shouted. I hadn't heard him shout for years, and I had forgotten how loud he could be, how his grey eyes flashed like storm-clouds behind his spectacles. 'Does he know how hard I fought to keep Eva here? Does he know how much I worry about her – how guilty I feel about what's happened to our family, you included? Does he think that because I'm the big brother, I have the power to do everything I want?'

I sat in silence as he went on.

'Ever since my mother died, I've tried to be a good brother for Eva and Vash, and a good future King for Germania. Sometimes, it's impossible to do both, and when that happens, what is the right alternative to choose?'

He collapsed into the piano seat. 'You're right, Elizabeta, our family is falling apart. But I don't see what I can do to stop it happening.' Then he looked at me, and the anxiety on his face made me feel close to tears. 'Wait... you... Elizabeta. You don't believe that I sent my younger sister to die, do you?'

I got up and crossed the room to where he sat – and I admit that I forgot decorum and sat next to him beside the piano and embraced him. I felt him stiffen in surprise, and I screwed my eyes shut and held him for a moment before letting go and determinedly meeting his gaze.

'I have never thought that you didn't care about us,' I promised. 'And I think that although it was a difficult decision, you did what was right.'

Roderich swallowed, and for or a fleeting moment, the court mannerisms and regality vanished. He looked very young again, like the anxious, intelligent boy that I had known as a girl, and teased for being afraid of horses. But then I had pulled him up into the saddle behind me, and shown him that it wasn't so bad, that there was a way to triumph over his fears. I was doing it again now, I hoped. I wanted to help him through this, help him along every step of the way.

'The only way that you can prove to Vash how you feel is by talking to him. I know that you don't want to appear weak in front of him, but if you don't confess vulnerability, you can't show trust. Vash is your brother, and, quite simply, he has just lost his sister, his link to the mother that he can barely remember. You need to be there for him... and let him be there for you too. You don't have to do everything alone, Roderich. No King can rule alone.'

This is a vague transcription of what I said. I expect it really sounded far less eloquent than that.

'How do I start?' Roderich said quietly.

'Find him, and talk to him. Tell him how you feel. Don't leave anything out. It is really simpler than you think.'

'I hope you're right,' Roderich murmured, almost to himself. 'I really do.'

'All I want is to mend your family.' And then I decided to go a step further. 'I want to see you truly happy, Roderich.'

He looked at me searchingly, and I stared back at him. I wouldn't look away, I couldn't look away.

'Elizabeta,' he whispered. And suddenly it sounded different – the way he said my name. 'If I told you I loved you – '

And then I kissed him.

I can feel my heart beating faster just thinking about it.

Anyway, the long and short of it was that, a few minutes later, when Roderich left me to go and find his brother, I think he was fairly firmly convinced that sharing one's emotions had positive results. I certainly was.

He is going to see his father later this evening, to broach the topic of... I can barely write it – _officially courting me_. I am in a daze. I've dreamed about this, but I never dared tell anyone but Eva, or even to write it in this journal...

But now, suddenly dreams have become a reality, and things are on the mend, and it seems barely conceivable that only a day has passed, when so much has changed for the better. Now all that is missing is Eva, to share it with – if she were here, my happiness would be complete. Oh, Eva, I wish that you will feel the joy that I am feeling right now! I wish that the love you find in the Middle Kingdom can equal this! Thank-you, thank-you, Fate, Fortune, Heaven. Thank-you.

_I love Roderich. I love Roderich. I love Roderich. I love Roderich. I love Roderich..._


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: GUYS. I'm so, SO sorry for the abysmally long gap between updates. I was focussing on a GCSE art project, then I was on holiday, then... Ack, I don't even know. I haven't got a real excuse. All I can do is apologize, and try to update more frequently in the future. **

**Here we go.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9 – Approaching<strong>

**Eva**

Three and a half months into the journey. The barren planes of Russe cleared. Almost over the wild Hima mountain ranges, and all without losing a single man. Quite an accomplishment.

Since the first raid, Yao had decided that her carriage should be used as a red herring rather than an actual place of residence. Experience had taught them that it was too obvious a target for looters. So Eva had moved into the women's wagon to stay, and within a few weeks, she felt more at home there than she ever had in her elegant, solitary carriage.

Every day, there was something new to see. A dark pine forest; a herd of wild mountain goats, perched precariously on a sheer rock face; a spectacular sunrise, spilling crimson over the white snow. The changing scenes that passed them by never ceased to amaze and intrigue her, and she could seldom resist the urge to explore. The first time that she had slipped out, early in the morning, and gone for a solitary ride in the craggy mountain passes, she had come back to find the whole camp in a panic.

'Eva, what do you _think _you were _doing_?' Yao had cried out, looking so anxious that Eva immediately felt guilty.

'I went for a ride,' she said reasonably. 'I thought it a shame that all this land is passing by, and I have no chance to explore it.'

'But anything could have happened to you!'

'I left a note. If I had fallen and broken my neck, you could have shown it to the Emperor as evidence that the death was all my fault.'

Yao had shaken his head. 'You are impossible, Princess. I implore you, never leave the road alone again, unless you wish to drive us out of our wits with worry.'

'Come with me, then,' Eva offered. 'It's more fun with company.'

But Eva refused to cave to emotional blackmail, and eventually he was forced to get used to her disappearances; or catch her as she was leaving and accompany her. Eva enjoyed it when he came with her – he would tell stories about the things they saw and teach her new words; the closest Eva ever came to breaking her neck was on their wild races back to the convoy.

They passed the highest point of the mountain pass (even in the high summer, it was so cold at night that Eva had huddled close to the other women for warmth), and began their descent on the other side. It was there that they came to the first village which Eva could call really Eastern.

The people came running out, wearing straw sandals and simple, smock-like _kimono, _which Yao told her were standard dress for the Middle Kingdom's populace. When they found that the convoy was actually from the _Emperor's guard, _and that the strange flaxen-haired woman with them was his future bride, they bowed and exclaimed and insisted that the whole convoy stop with them for a night. Eva found herself inspected covertly from every angle, sized up for the role of future Empress.

'Do you think that they will approve?' she said in a tentative undertone to Yao as they ate the meal laid out to them by the villagers, seated close by the fire. 'Not just these people, I mean. But everyone. I mean, I don't exactly live up to what they will expect of a Princess – I've learnt that much.'

Yao stared into the fire for a moment before answering. 'I think that you will exceed all expectations,' he said finally. 'Everyone will expect you to be a little odd – you come from hundreds of miles away – and moreover, they are bracing themselves for a spoilt, uncultured barbarian girl who doesn't speak a word of _Hanyu.' _He paused, and then turned to face her before continuing. 'It's what I was expecting, and I've been proved wrong again and again.'

Eva sat and gazed at him for a moment, unsure whether to be offended or flattered. 'I'm glad to hear that I am exceeding your expectations,' she said finally. 'But perhaps not everyone will agree. I... I'm scared that all the ladies of court will hate me, and decide to crush the spirit out of me.'

Yao gave a snort of laughter. 'Well, they'll be trying for a long time. I've never met a woman as resilient as you, Princess. You will make a far better Empress in your own peculiar way than any lady of the Higashi court – and anyone who cannot appreciate that is a fool.'

Eva felt suddenly heartened, and as light as air. 'Thank-you for saying that. I don't know whether it's true, but it certainly makes me feel better.'

Yao smiled. 'As far as I'm concerned, it is true, Princess.'

'Call me Eva,' she said, suddenly and impulsively. She saw the look of surprise on his face, and felt the need to disclaim herself. 'I don't know what calling a woman by her given name means in the Middle Kingdom, but in Germania it's an expression of close friendship.' He still didn't respond, and she felt nervous. 'Is it... is that alright, Captain?'

He seemed to be suppressing a wide smile. 'If I call you Eva, you must agree to call me Yao.'

'Yao,' she said, experimentally. It seemed so very strange to say his name out loud – not unpleasant, but precarious, somehow illicit. For a moment, she almost considered backtracking, forgetting the whole thing. But then she shook off her irrational fear, and gave a laugh. 'I suppose that's a fair deal. Thank-you very much, Yao.'

'You're welcome, Eva,' he said, and handed her the bowl of rice as it came around the circle again. 'But if I were you,' he added in a lower voice, 'I wouldn't say it when we are in the company of the other men. They would joyfully seize any opportunity to... misconstrue things.'

Eva sat for a moment before understanding what he meant. Then she flushed scarlet and cast her eyes determinedly on her food, gritting her teeth as he laughed quietly beside her.

~O~

A month left.

A few weeks.

A few days.

They would be arriving at the great wall that bordered the province of Higashi by the largest road – their path would be empty and rocky no more, but wide and filled with traffic from all parts of the kingdom. Another, much larger guard would join them, turning their practical little convoy into a procession laden with pomp and ceremony. She would be no longer a reckless Princess, but an Empress. Her new life would begin.

Eva spoke in _Hanyu _nearly all the time now, even with Yao; she was aware that on her arrival in Higashi, and there would be no choice about it. Although she felt that she was competent enough in the language to get by, the idea still worried her. In all her anxiety about the journey, she had given little thought to what would happen when they reached their destination.

She learnt five new characters of the alphabet a day, sometimes more, and painted them on her arm so that she could glance at them in any idle moment. She was building steadily towards a vocabulary of almost five hundred, and was beginning to slowly pick her way through a child's book of _Hanyu _poems. In her nightly lessons with Yao, he taught her how to correctly hold a calligraphy brush, and how to recite poetry so that it held expression past the obligatory sliding tones.

One evening, when the air was balmy from the long, hot day, and the sky was scattered with thousands of stars, she sat herself on the narrow futon and looked over the short poem that he handed her, checking for words that she did not know. To her surprise, she recognised all of them.

'I know all of these!' she exclaimed.

Yao smiled proudly. 'We have covered all of them, yes. Congratulations for remembering them all.' He sat back, the lamplight sending gold glints across his hair and lighting up his eyes. 'You can start whenever you feel ready.'

Eva took a deep breath. '_Regret for peony flowers_. Written by Bai Ju yi.'

'_I'm saddened by the peonies around the steps, so red -  
>As evening came I found that only two remained.'<em>

Eva paused, looking up. Yao nodded encouragingly, and she continued, slower, trying to express the melancholy mood of the words.

'_Once morning's winds have blown, they surely won't survive,  
>At night I gaze by lamplight, to cherish the fading red.'<em>

Yao let out his breath slowly. 'That was perfect, Eva. I couldn't have read it better myself.'

'Thank-you,' Eva murmured. 'It's a sad poem, isn't it? But very beautiful.'

'Yes,' Yao nodded, 'it is. I have some beautiful peonies in my garden in Higashi, and they never seem to last long enough.'

'Things never last as long as you want them to,' Eva said. 'There's a proverb in Germania: "all good things come to an end".' Then something occurred to her. 'Yao, do you live at the palace in Higashi? Or somewhere else?'

'I live in a large estate – a compound, of sorts with my brothers and their wives, my parents, my grandparents, and a few other relatives. It's the custom in the Middle Kingdom to live in one place with every generation of your family. Though I do not spend very much time at home much – I am usually travelling, and I often stay in the Emperor's palace.'

'The Emperor's palace... Will I see you there sometimes, then, after – after we arrive?'

He nodded in assent. 'I expect so. But I will be leaving again, a few months after we arrive. The Emperor has appointed me as his official representative in Russe. I will be overseeing the work as we begin to civilise the roads from Germania to the Middle Kingdom – this being the whole point of the alliance, after all.' He glanced up at her, and hesitated before replying. 'It won't be easy work, and I expect I will be away from Higashi for two years at least.'

The idea of coping in the Middle Kingdom without Yao made Eva's stomach drop several inches, and she leant toward him anxiously. 'Please be careful, Yao, when you do go,' she said, feeling a little silly. 'I don't know how I'd cope in Higashi if... without you there. And although I still don't know much about a soldier's work, I suppose it will be dangerous.'

'You're right,' Yao affirmed. He gave her a smile – a slightly sad one, she thought. 'But I must take the rough with the smooth; I can't expect to be escorting Princesses all the time.' Then he sighed. 'Although, of course, no one would ever say this, one of the reasons why I have been chosen for the job is because I'm more dispensable than some other soldiers. As of yet, no-one's livelihood depends wholly on me coming back alive.'

Eva puzzled over the complicated sentence for a moment before replying. 'You're not married, then? Do you want to be?'

Yao gave a short laugh. 'Heavens, no! Marriage isn't for me, not for a good many years. I'd be away fighting all the time – the poor woman wouldn't see me for months on end. And, more importantly, I haven't met an available lady who held that sort of interest for me.'

Eva noticed, with a growing sense of alarm, the feeling of relief that spread through her as he spoke. Why should she care that he wasn't married? It was none of her business!

And yet a part of her seemed to be saying that it was. Yao was _hers, _not some other woman's. The very idea of him going back to a wife after their long months of companionship, make her want to scream. He should never smile at another girl the way he smiled at her; never pour her tea; never kiss her hand or read her poetry or ride side by side along solitary mountain passes...

Eva looked down, and realised her fists were clenched.

The silence in the room was deafening. Eva looked up at Yao's face, and he glanced quickly away, fixing his eyes resolutely on the wooden floor. She wondered what he could be thinking – he never said exactly what he meant. As the seconds lengthened, she realised, with almost speculative interest, that they had never before been in one another's presence, and afraid to speak.

So why now? Maybe it was because their journey was drawing to an end, and they didn't want to say anything that would remind them of it. Maybe it was because she had broached an awkward topic. Maybe it was because... they were both afraid of what they might say if they opened their mouths.

Finally, Yao clumsily broke the silence, clearing his throat and getting to his feet. 'Excuse me, Eva, I think that I should go and check on the horses. I forgot to unsaddle Hao Tian earlier, you see... You can wait for me to return, or if you feel tired, feel free to return to your wagon without me.'

Eva had to swallow before she could reply. 'Of course.' She left it at that, unable to think of anything else to say.

He bowed, and slipped quickly out of the carriage, closing the door. Eva perched on the edge on the futon, opening and closing the book in her lap nervously, wondering whether to wait for him, or to leave while she could and forget everything that _hadn't_ happened.

The way that Yao looked at her. The avoidance of topics that were so forbidden that she couldn't even _think _them. The jealousy, the feeling that all good things come to an end, her fear of their impending arrival in Higashi...

She didn't want to be married to the Emperor. When she had set out, she had been utterly willing, but not anymore. Suddenly things were changing, so fast that she didn't know what to feel, let alone what to do...

The door banged open again.

Eva gave a small scream, before a hand was gripping her shoulder and a familiar voice whispering urgently in her ear.

'Eva! _Eva! We're under attack!' _

She brought her hand up to clutch at his arm, and it came away stained red with blood.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 - Flight**

'Yao, what happened to you? Are you hurt?' She felt her pulse kick up and her breath catch in her throat; her head felt light and her stomach seemed to be twisting into knots. 'Who is attacking us? What do we do?' She was overwhelmed with incredulity and beginning to panic. He couldn't be wounded, Yao, her invincible Yao who could cope with anything –

'Shh! They are robbers, I think; but clearly trained in the Ninja arts,' Yao said, gritting his teeth. 'Their techniques render them practically invisible – the first that I knew of them was a blade slicing through my arm.'

'We... we have to warn the others!'

'I raised the alarm with everyone I passed. Luckily, I met my second-in-command, and told him what was happening; at least they'll have a prayer of staying alive under his orders.'

Eva's panic-numbed brain struggled to comprehend. 'But what about you?'

Yao reached past her and snuffed out the lamp, and she saw a few spots of blood drip onto the immaculate futon before the carriage was plunged into darkness. 'Protecting you has always been my first priority. We will leave now, in the confusion. They will understand.'

She paused for a moment, opening her mouth to argue.

'Eva,' Yao said, in a warning tone.

'_Hao,' _she said quietly, trying to swallow the sick feeling of guilt inside her. _Alright. _There was no use. So she just gulped, and followed him quietly out of the cabin, closing the door.

Hao Tian was waiting outside, fully saddled and dancing nervously, still moving alongside the carriage. Yao unhooked his reins and pulled them a little way away from the convoy, nodding for Eva to follow.

'So Hao Tian really did have his saddle on, before – it wasn't just an excuse?' Eva blurted in a whisper.

Yao almost laughed. 'I really did leave his saddle on, thank fortune. It saves us minutes that may be the difference between life and death.'

Just then, a piece of the night seemed to come alive beside them.

Yao whipped around, spinning Eva behind him, and she clamped her hands over her mouth to choke off her scream. She took several steps backward, keeping out of Yao's way as he drew his sword and engaged the Ninja_._

The fight was quick – executed in silence, but for the clash of their swords and their boots on the turf. Eva watched in fascination as Yao parried and blocked with inhuman speed – he had forced the Ninja onto the back foot – his adversary dropped his sword with a quiet cry – and then the black figure had crumpled to the ground. Yao stood, frozen, for a moment, before bending slowly and wiping his sword on the grass. Eva stayed frozen to the spot, her eyes riveted on the man that Yao had just gracefully and efficiently killed.

He was clad entirely in black, with a slit for his eyes, which gazed unseeingly upwards. And now, one more slit – a narrow one across his throat. He had been totally invisible until only a few seconds before. If Yao had been just one moment slower to react, he would have been the dead one, and she...

Eva gulped as she realised the knife's edge that they were balancing on, and although she could feel that her eyes were as round as moons, she couldn't seem to close them. Yao slid his sword back into its sheath and turned back towards her, swinging himself fluidly onto Hao Tian's back, before holding out a hand. It took all her willpower not to shrink away from him.

'I'm sorry that you witnessed that, Eva,' he said quietly. Suddenly he was Yao again, not that god of death that she had watched only moments before. His face was pale, and Eva wondered how bad the cut on his arm really was. 'Are you alright?'

Eva wanted to scream. No, neither of them were alright, how could she be alright after seeing that? But she bit back her tongue and nodded, ignoring the proffered hand and instead climbing up by herself. She tried to sit as though in a side-saddle before realising that if she did, she would slide off. With a huff of exasperation, she began to pull up her skirts, preparing with a grim panic to learn to ride like a man.

'Don't do that,' Yao said in a whisper. 'It's unfitting for a lady.'

Eva hissed. 'I think that's the least of our troubles right now, Yao – '

But then he looped his arms securely around her waist where she sat, and she realised, with a steadily growing feeling of embarrassment, that as long as he continued to hold her as tightly he was now, there was no way that it was humanly possible for her to move anywhere. All argument was quickly over.

'You're going to have to steer,' he whispered. 'I'll do the kicking.'

'Stirrups?'

'I've got them.'

Eva seized the reins. 'Then what are we waiting for?'

Yao clucked Hao Tian into life, and he pricked up his ears and started forwards in a fluent trot, passing the wagons, passing the carriages, as silently as a demon in the night.

As they moved, Eva could hear the stirrings of panic beginning around them. Torches sprung to life; horses whinnied; men shouted and a woman screamed. Eva felt tears beginning to fall down her face, and she let out a high-pitched, choking sob. Yao found her hand and gripped it, and she forced herself to breathe, to detach, to stay quiet so that they could survive.

'We're going to run now,' Yao said in her ear. 'Brace yourself.'

She nodded mutely.

She heard Yao cluck once, and the thump of his heels against Hao Tian's sides, and then, with a snort and bunching of muscles powerful enough to kill a man with one kick, he was off. Eva gasped out loud as they galloped forward into the night, the once-pleasant air throwing itself relentlessly into her face, hooves pounding the ground beneath them in a frantic rhythm. The sound of the convoy was lost in the rushing of the wind, and she could see nothing ahead of them except stars and blackness...

Something whistled by in the air beside them.

Yao cursed behind her and Eva realised that they had been seen, and that they were even now being pursued by the robbers, the _Ninja, _as Yao called them.

'What are they throwing?' she gasped, the wind whipping her words from her lips.

'They are called _Hira Shuriken; _or Ninja Stars. Made of metal; often poisoned; razor-sharp, with four or five points. Lethal in the right hands. I'll tell you more later.'

_If there is a later, _she thought wildly.

Hao Tian was lowering his head and moving still faster, and behind them, Eva heard a high cry, a sort of whoop. It was answered by a similar sound on their right. Then another shuriken whistled by, so close in front of her that she caught a glimpse of its shimmering, whirring blades, reflecting in the moonlight.

Yao gave a low bark of a laugh. 'Over-compensated.'

Supposing the worst were to happen? Would the ninja kill them? Or rob them of everything they had, stranding them in the wilderness? Or kidnap them to hold to ransom?

They had already hurt Yao once...

And then she realised, with a rush of hot feeling inside her, that despite the danger and the wound, he hadn't forgotten himself for an instant. He had raised the alarm, giving their comrades a chance for escape. He had taken his horse back for her. He had fought an enemy, and killed him.

And although he was bleeding – who knew how badly – he had not once let his hold on her slacken. He was risking his life for her, keeping her safe, always.

These could be the last moments of her life.

If so, there was something she wanted to tell him. That he deserved to know. She wanted to tell him how she felt, and to tell herself how she felt, before she died.

If they lived, though, having told him might be more dangerous than even this: a breakneck gallop through the menacing silence of night, haunted by bandits with intent to kill. It might be safer to receive the death that came whistling through the cool air as fallen stars, cast out from the gorgeous summer sky, than to try and live with these feelings. But she didn't care anymore.

'Yao,' she said, getting the words out as quickly as she could, so fast that they left her mouth, not even _Hanyu, _but her mother-tongue, Germanian. 'Yao, I love you!'

He gave no indication as to whether he had heard or understood. Hao Tian galloped still faster, and now the ground was nothing but a grey blur beneath them. More whoops from behind them, the whistle of another star, lower this time, and from somewhere far away, the thud of another horse's hooves, and another after that...

...But then Eva realised that even with horses, the Ninja didn't have a hope of keeping up with Hao Tian. He was eating up yards of ground with every stride, and their cries were getting further behind with every passing second. Eventually, from somewhere far away across the plains, she heard a last cry, very faint.

Unlike the others, it was made with a downwards tone to it. The meaning couldn't have been clearer: _give up. _And in a few more minutes, the only sound that they could hear was the steady pounding of Hao Tian's hooves beneath them.

Eva let out a heavy sigh of relief, and under some command from Yao, the horse slowed, settling into a steady, loping canter, ideal for crossing long distances. They were past the largest part of the danger. They weren't being followed.

For a few minutes, they rode in silence, feeling nothing but the movement of the horse's body below them and the air across their faces. Then Eva let her breath out in a long sigh. They were alive.

'We will have to come into Higashi by a detour,' Yao said behind her, in a voice that suggested he was thinking out loud. 'Hao Tian can keep this pace up for an hour or so, but then we will stop and make camp. My arm will need seeing to...'

'Yao?' she said quietly. Maybe he hadn't heard her words. Or maybe he would pretend he hadn't, and never mention it again. Which would be worse? 'Yao... how badly does your arm hurt?'

He gripped her still tighter. 'Mind over matter. It won't make any difference until I allow it to. Steer right a little, we want to set a south-eastern course.'

'Yao... Thank-you. For everything. You're so brave.' She tugged the right rein gently, and Hao Tian responded immediately. 'You saved both of us.'

He was silent for a moment, before saying quietly. 'You have been at least as brave as me tonight, Eva.'

And then she knew that he must have heard. She sighed and settled to be a little more comfortable, steering on Yao's command, but absent within her mind, preparing herself for the challenges to come.

The immediate danger might be over, but she knew that their problems were far from finished.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So there we have it. **_**The confession. **_**I take this opportunity to apologize for excessive smoosh, both in this chapter and in the future. You have been warned. **

**I don't really have anything to say this chapter, except... there are two alternate endings to this story (the second one was thought up in a moment of telepathy between **_**True Colours**_** and I this very evening). I'm really unsure as to which one to pick. I'm not giving anything away, and I know I can't ask you guys to choose, so really, there was no point in me telling you that. I just thought you might like to know.  
>I may post ending #2 as a separate fic, and then you can pick whichever suits your headcanon better. ;) <strong>

**Ciao for now,**

**Izzyxox**

**PS: by the way, has anyone read **_**Resistance**_** by Owen Sheers? Did anyone else totally develop a crush on Albrecht? And in your humble opinion, what the FrUk was happening at the end? Because I'm still pretty darn confused. It's a good book, people. But the ending is **_**very **_**ambiguous. Meh.**

**PPS: Thank-you so much to everyone who reviews this fic, especially That One Person who sent me a 3.8 KB message that absolutely made my day. It's wonderful to know that other people are enjoying my work. I love to hear from you all. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 – Suspended**

They stopped, eventually, in a small grove of Mongolian oaks, which stood in a determined little cluster, gnarled and bent over by the unchecked winds of the plains.

'Where there are trees,' Yao said, 'there will be water, too.'

And sure enough, under the shade of the trees, a spring of foaming water gushed up and trickled along into a tiny pool, which flowed out of the clearing in a muddy tributary, almost invisible amongst the grass.

Yao unlocked his arms from around Eva's waist and she slid off Hao Tian. He followed her down, and they quickly ran up Hao Tian's stirrups, then pulled off the saddle to reveal sides darkened and flecked with sweat.

'He's been a hero, but he's spent. He needs to drink plenty, and then get some rest,' Eva said, nodding over to the spring. 'Thank goodness for this place.'

Yao nodded absently, and began to lead Hao Tian over towards the bubbling water. 'I daresay that this stream will run into the Kawa river, eventually,' he murmured. 'Nearly all the small streams hereabouts reach the Kawa in the end.' Eva watched him anxiously as he looped the horse's reins through his bridle with trembling hands, and leant unconsciously against him as he bent down to drink. Yao's eyes were over-bright and he was too pale, and only then did she realise how urgently his wound needed seeing to.

'Yao,' she said, as firmly as she could. 'Give me the reins. Go and sit down – you're in a bad way.'

He obeyed without argument, which almost worried her further. She stood by Hao Tian, letting him drink noisily for a few minutes, then pulled him away and looped his reins loosely around a branch so that he could crop grass without straying. Then she went over to Yao, who was sitting with his back against a tree and inspecting his arm with an expression of detached interest.

'How much does it hurt?' she said worriedly, lifting her skirts and kneeling beside him.

'A great deal,' he murmured, 'I expect that shuriken had some sort of incapacitating poison on it. I'll... we'll... need to wash the wound, and put a general antidote on it... there's a bottle of _kappa_ in my satchel, along with some bandages, which should neutralise the worst of the poison and do away with any infection.'

'You think of everything,' Eva said incredulously. 'You managed to bring a bag along, despite everything?'

Yao smiled faintly. 'Always prepared. And besides,' he nodded to the soft leather satchel slung across her shoulder, 'so did you.'

She fingered the strap. 'This bag is full of trinkets; I've no doubt that yours is far more practical.'

He nodded, not even bothering to reply, and tilted his head back against the tree. Eva bit her lip, turning quickly away to search for the bandages and the antidote amongst Yao's other supplies. A blow-dart with about two dozen shots; some dried fruit and meat; a hip-flask of strong _sake, _rice wine; a bag of money; a lamp, a spark-flint and a bundle of kindling...

Again, she wondered what she would do without him. If it hadn't been for his protection, by now she would have been dead – or worse – several times over. In the grey twilight before the dawn, she fumbled about until she found the bottle of _kappa, _and a long white roll of linen. She also took the along a water-gourd and the _sake, _thinking that if anyone had ever needed spirits, it was Yao right now.

'Yao, I'm going to need to see to that wound, since you're clearly in no position to do so,' she said, keeping her eyes firmly on her work as she filled the gourd with water and soaked a strip of linen. She crossed the clearing towards him, and saw that his eyes had slid half-closed, a glimmer of hazel showing through the dark lashes. 'So... I hope you'll excuse me... and be sure to tell me if anything hurts.' She finished lamely. He didn't even try to argue, just inclined his head slightly. She felt a surge of guilt. He had practically carried her here with that injury – he was sure to be utterly exhausted.

She took a deep breath and reached forward, undoing the buttons of his outer jacket and pulling it open. He leant forward a little so that she could slide it from his shoulders, then slumped backwards again. She reached for him quickly, and steadied him against the tree. She repeated the same pattern twice, stripping him of layers of smart Captain's uniform and trying to avoid looking anywhere but at her own hands as they worked through the laces and buttons.

When she eventually reached his plain undershirt, she found it was soaked through, several shades darker with sweat and blood. The sleeve was partially severed where the shuriken had sliced it, and Eva tore the hanging part off quickly, rolling the rest up to get a clear look at the wound.

It was as bad as she had feared. Angry, red and almost an inch deep, it cut through his skin to the flesh underneath. Her own hands were beginning to tremble as she splashed some _kappa _onto a cloth, and it burned coldly on her hands, its sharp smell reaching her nose.

Yao hissed and groaned as she cleaned his wound, and Eva talked to him in a way that she hoped was soothing, rinsing the blood and sweat away as quickly as she could.

'It's alright, Yao. I know it hurts, but it will get better.' She tentatively placed a hand on his other shoulder, and patted it gently; she wanted him to know that was there, supporting him. 'I promise. Not long now, Yao – you will feel alright in no time...'

He groaned again, but held still as she cleaned his arm. Eva hoped that this meant that he was in control of his wits enough to understand, and not that he was too weak even to struggle. His forehead shimmered with sweat, and his eyes were tightly closed. As Eva worked, she found that her hands moved while her mind was elsewhere. Her attention lingered on Yao, tracing over his face, watching and wondering how anybody could be as tired and sick and travel-stained as he was, and yet still look so beautiful.

The sun came up and a few birds began to chirp in the trees above them. Hao Tian cropped grass and Eva bathed herself in the pool, ate some fruit and pounded rice, then settled down to watch over Yao.

It was a hard day. The Ninja's shuriken had clearly been poisoned, because Yao's arm turned a livid shade of scarlet and the flesh around his cut swelled alarmingly. He slipped in and out of a shivering, restless sleep, sometimes talking, sometimes utterly still. Eva watched him and agonised with worry, wondering whether the poison had been fatal, whether her help had been too late, whether the wound would heal, or whether infection would take it first...

Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead and she wiped them away with a damp cloth, brushing his hair out of his face as she did so. He mumbled something in Hanyu that she didn't bother to try and interpret.

She knew with a sick certainty that if he died, she would not last long in the wild, and a feeling of helplessness engulfed her. Why had she spent hours learning to pour tea, when she should have been learning to navigate through the wilds? What good would the ability to execute a perfect court bow do when she was starving to death?

'Yao, when you are better, you must teach me how to provide for myself,' she said, trying to keep her voice steady and cheerful. She moved over to sit next to him, cross-legged on the rough ground. 'It is quite ironic, really, that everything that you taught me will be useless if we don't arrive in Higashi.'

Yao shifted in his sleep, and Eva leant forward to feel his forehead. Was it her imagination, or was it really a little cooler?

'Thank-you so much for everything that you have done for me, Yao. I do not know how I would have managed without you. You have been... are... a wonderful teacher, and a true friend. You must get better. Or – ' Eva stopped and swallowed. 'I do not want to so much consider the idea. It is agonising.'

She sat in silence for a while, preoccupying herself with daydreams and memories, steering her mind away from the horrific prospect of his death. Just the idea made her heart tug within her as though from physical pain.

'Please, please, please be alright,' she whispered, half-chanting, cooling his forehead and changing his bandages. The wound was beginning to purple, and looked hideously crusty. The sight filled her with fear and disgust, but she forced it away and re-applied the dressing as quickly as she could.

If he died, she would soon follow. They would survive together, or not at all.

~O~

The day seemed to crawl by. The sun crossed the sky slowly above them, its light filtering down through the trees to give Eva some indication of time's passing. After what seemed like forever, the shadows began to lengthen, and the air finally cooled around them. Eva didn't leave the clearing all day. Instead, she stayed at Yao's side, always with a hand resting on his arm, hoping that her presence would be some comfort to him. She didn't sleep or eat; she got up quickly once, to refill the water gourd, and then returned immediately to his side.

Leaning forward, she felt his forehead again, and realised that his fever was almost gone. His breathing was deeper and steadier. Eva was no expert in medicine, but she could tell that Yao was recovering. He was going to be alright.

'You're getting better, Yao,' she sighed. 'You've made it.' The relief that flooded through her made her feel weak and sentimental, and it was all that she could do to hold back tears. She _was_ weak, and she needed him – not just to protect her, but because she loved him, too. But she didn't know if he could feel the same way. She reached forward and took Yao's hand, feeling his soldier's calluses and tough skin against her own. Her hands were pathetically smooth and small next to his.

Eva took a deep breath, and began to speak. 'Yao... I know that what I said last night was presumptuous. I hope you will forgive me.'

No response. That was good. He was sleeping.

'I do not know what I hoped to gain by telling you, really. I suppose that it was because I realised it so suddenly. I only realised how I felt as we were talking, just before the attack... but I see now, looking back, that my feelings had been growing for quite some time.'

She drew her hands back into her lap, holding one another tightly. 'Please, ignore the fact that I love you. It is not safe or sensible. But... in spite of that... I'm glad that I told you. You deserve to know.'

'Eva.'

She gave a small shriek, and jumped, to see Yao sitting with his eyes open, gazing at her groggily.

'You're... you're awake?' she whispered. She groaned and buried her face in her hands, feeling heat rush to her face, red rising in her cheeks and tears in her eyes. 'Oh no, I would not have said anything if I had known, I'm sorry...'

She felt his hand on her shoulder, and looked up in surprise.

'Don't be,' his voice still sounded rough with sleep. 'I am so glad that you told me. Because, Eva... I was in love with you first.'

Eva took her hands away from her face. 'You... were?'

He nodded. 'I liked you from the moment I met you – by the time we left Germania, I knew that I would be honoured to marry a woman like you. Over the months, I struggled with it... But such things only increase over time. It was a burden that I found almost impossible to bear.'

For a moment, all Eva could do was stare at him. Then she dropped her chin back into her hands and looked at the ground instead. 'Well, you kept your secret very well,' Eva gave a short laugh, 'I would never have guessed that you loved me in return. I can scarcely believe it now.'

'I don't understand how any person could not love you,' Yao said, and as he leant forward, Eva could see a strange light burning in his eyes. Was it a side effect of the fever? Or something else? 'You are as gracious and compassionate as a mother; you are as brave and resourceful as any soldier; and I know of no courtier or scholar who could learn our ways with the speed and intuition that you have. And you are as beautiful as a star in the sky, natural and without pretention; you are not affected, and you are confident in yourself...'

'Yao!' Eva threw up her hands. 'Yao, you are exaggerating. You describe me as a Goddess. I'm just a naive, foolhardy girl, not even a woman. I happen to be a Princess, but what of it? I have heard the saying, "love is blind", but never have I seen a person as unseeing of faults as you are now.'

'Love is not blind,' Yao said softly. He lifted his arm in its bandage, wincing as the muscle pulled, and reached forward to clasp one of her hands again. 'Love is what truly allows us to see.'

'Yao...' Eva started, but couldn't think what to say next. So she just reached forward, very carefully, so as not to hurt his arm, and wrapped her arms around him, leaning her head on his shoulder. It was so strange, but somehow wonderful, to be embracing him after staying carefully apart for so long. 'I love you,' she mumbled against his shoulder. 'You have saved me time and time again, and I am thanking heaven that you have saved yourself.'

Yao pulled back a little to look at her. 'It was you who saved me,' he said. And then he closed his eyes again, and leant forward, and kissed her.

Eva wondered briefly how many laws they were breaking at this moment, before deciding that she didn't care. Any pain she suffered later would be worth this moment of simple paradise. The only things that mattered were that Yao was alive, and that he loved her too, and the wonderful feeling of kissing him, finally, feeling his hand around hers and his lips on her face. It was enough to make her forget the existence of time and space, at least for a while. Everything was Yao.

Yao broke the kiss and held her for a moment, running his good hand through her hair. And for a while, they stayed like that, neither of them talking. Then Yao took a deep breath, and, leaning forward spoke quietly in her ear.

'Eva, do you want to stay here?' he asked.

Eva tensed, and he continued, explaining his thoughts to her.

'I'm a soldier, and I know this land well; I could easily keep us alive. There small villages hereabouts that would trade game and wild plants for other goods. I could teach you to hunt, and to ride, and we could build a house here...' He pasued. 'Eva... we need never go to Higashi.'

Eva sat for a moment with her head on his shoulder, allowing the possibility to shine, perfect and enticing, in her mind. She could choose to live in a world with no duties, with no past – just Yao and herself, free of everything else. She wanted desperately to forget everything and say yes.

But she knew it was impossible. Her eyes filled with tears, and this time, before she could stop them, they began to fall. She swallowed thickly and pressed her face against Yao's shoulder, so as not to have to see his face as she replied.

'Yao... we can't. I want to – so badly – but what about our families, our friends? What will my father do when he finds that I have been killed? The alliance will never be achieved. Relations between East and West will be destroyed. The people we love will live out their lives believing us to be dead. I can't live with these things on my conscience, Yao.' Her voice broke, and she gave a sob.

He gave no reaction, other than to squeeze her hand more tightly in his.

'You see...' her voice trembled, and she fought to control it, 'although we may hate it, we have a duty to fulfil. If I do my duty, I think that I could live with my broken heart.'

'Could you live with mine, too?' he asked quietly.

'Oh, Yao!' She couldn't hold back her sadness any longer. She cried onto his shoulder with tears that seemed to never end, and he held her and rocked her gently back and forth, as though she were a child.

'Shh, Eva,' he murmured. 'It's alright.' He stroked a hand through her hair. 'I'm sorry. You are so strong, Eva. So brave.'

'I want to stay here with you,' she sobbed. 'I would give anything to.'

'And the same with you.' He kissed her on the forehead, and she pulled up to look at him. His eyes had become brighter still, silver reflections shining like stars across the green and gold. Eva wondered, briefly, whether he would cry. She knew that if he did, she would never be able to resist staying with him. She couldn't hurt him that much.

He sighed, and closed his eyes for a moment. 'But you are right, Eva. We have a duty, and we must be loyal to that. It would be selfish to stay here.'

'Yao, I couldn't do it.' She reached up a hand to gently brush his cheek, 'I could live with my broken heart, but not yours. I wish that you didn't love me, almost... it would be better than hurting you.'

Yao paused for a moment. 'Maybe it will be better to think of it in a different way. When you told me you loved me, I felt invincible. I was no longer afraid. I no longer felt the pain of my arm. It gave me the strength to get us both to safety. So you see...'

'...As long as we know that we love each other, we can survive?' Eva said. She smiled tiredly. 'Yao, do you really think love will work that way?'

'We have to hope it will.' Yao pulled her closer again. 'Love is never simple. It is not a question of if it will work or not. We must remember that we love one another, and cherish every moment we spend together. Through everything, that is the thing that really matters.'

Eva reached up to kiss him again, and her tiredness and her hunger and her sadness seemed to come down over her like a fog, and she couldn't find the words to reply. She closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest. She listened to his heartbeat, and tried to stop thinking, to savour the moment, and to forget the pain that she felt in her chest – the pain that she knew that he was feeling too.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please accept my abject apologies for this absurdly late update. My only excuse is that school came along and slapped me in the face. Being in year 11 takes up a lot of time. **

**Also, I just wanted to say 'thank-you' to everyone who has reviewed this story, or fav'd it, or added it to their alerts. Your support means so much to me, and I hope that you will continue to read and enjoy my work, even if my updating sucks. **

**I will try my hardest to get the next chapter up ASAP!**

**Izzyxox**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: You know what? I'm going to stop apologizing. It's the same excuses _every _time. If you want to read my grovelling, just click back a couple of chapters. As it is, I'm going to cut to the quick and let you have the chapter. And keep on trying to stop being pathetic. **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12 – Decisions<strong>

They stayed in the clearing for a few days, until Yao was strong enough to travel again.

He was unable to walk about, or move very far, and so Eva stayed with him nearly all the time, supporting him, helping him eat, and talking to him. They mapped every detail of one another's lives; all the things that they had never talked about in their long journeying across Russe and Hima. Sometimes they talked in Hanyu, sometimes in Germanian – both languages flowed between them easily now.

'My two brothers are very dissimilar. We have a saying in Germania, 'like chalk and cheese'? It means that they are about as different as it's possible to be. They used to get along quite well despite their differences, but as they got older... I suppose they grew apart a little.'

'I know how it feels to have siblings who don't get along,' Yao sighed.

Eva looked up with interest. 'You have brothers and sisters? Tell me about your family.'

'Well, I have several siblings, all of them younger than me. I've always tried to be a good big brother to them, but sometimes it's hard. They quarrel _all _the time, and have no sense of respect whatsoever.'

Eva laughed. 'Poor Yao. The long-suffering big brother.'

'But despite all that, I do love them. Family is very important, I think.'

She nodded in agreement. 'You said that your family lived together... is your home in the city? Close to where... I'll be?' Her conversation had led them back again – back to the truth that she couldn't avoid. She was going to Higashi, and she had to prepare as best she could.

'Yes. Very close. I've been visiting the palace since I was a child. My parents were keen that I should get to know the future emperor on a personal level.'

Eva felt her stomach drop at the mention of the Emperor himself. 'Yao... what's the Emperor like? Is he... is he nice?'

Yao forced a laugh. 'Eva! What a question!'

'_Is _he?'

Yao paused. 'I think that you would find him... nice, as you put it. He's very diplomatic and even-tempered most of the time. But people say that he has a temper like a dragon.'

'How old is he? My age?'

'Older. About the same age as me. In our childhood, we were occasionally playmates – though not often, given the obvious difference in class. Only at parties, and such.'

'What does he look like?' Eva pressed on, with a sort of morbid curiosity. 'Is he tall?'

Yao hesitated before replying. 'He has dark hair, with... pale skin, and even features. And no... He isn't particularly tall. Would you prefer it if he was? I know that the men in Germania are far taller than here.'

'No, no!' Eva said hastily. 'I'm not exactly tall myself, so really, it's no problem.' She giggled. 'Now, Elivabeta, she would have a problem. She's two head's taller than me – I think that she's taller than you, actually.'

'Of course, it's partly to do with how one holds oneself,' Yao said, ignoring her jibe. 'The emperor seems taller than he is, especially when he is wearing his robes of state.'

'Yes,' Eva said, ruefully, looking down at her own travel-worn dress. 'It's amazing the difference that clothes can make to one's appearance.'

'When we get to Higashi, you'll have more fine clothes than you know what to do with,' Yao promised her, squeezing her hand, 'kimono made out of red silk and golden thread, fine tasselled belts longer than five men, jewellery sparkling with precious stones...'

Eva sighed, and looked away. They both knew that she would rather stay here with him in rags than go to Higashi, even if she could wear the finest clothing in the world.

~O~

Eva tried to put off their moment of departure, but she knew in her heart that they must leave, and the sooner they did so, the easier it would be. So when Yao insisted on the fifth morning that he was well enough to ride, she sighed, collected their few belongings into a bag, and climbed up onto Hao Tian behind him, clutching onto his waist so as not to fall off.

'Why didn't we do this on the way out?' she asked, almost teasingly. She felt that she would cry if she didn't make a joke.

'I was not recovering from an arm injury on that occasion.'

'No – you _had _an arm injury.'

'There was a good chance that we were going to be killed, and I would rather die with you in my arms than breathing down my neck.'

She laughed, because she knew that if she didn't, she would cry. Yao clucked to Hao Tian, and he started off at a sluggish walk. Eva didn't blame him. The hard gallop combined with several days of total rest were sure to have taken their toll on him... and besides, she was as unwilling to move towards Higashi as he was.

That night, they camped in the open, having made good progress despite the slightly slower pace. Yao said that they could be no more than two or three day's journey from the wall by horse, and that their food and water would last them about that length of time. To supplement the dried food and rice, he shot two birds with the blowgun, and, under his instruction, Eva brought down a third. They made a small fire and cooked the birds over it; they were delicious.

'We can only use very dry fuel for our fires; and we must only make them in hollows,' Yao said, as they watched the flames crackle towards the sky. 'Smoke and flames attract attention from a long distance, and we don't want that.'

'Why not?' Eva asked. 'Surely being seen by troops and picked up would be advantageous... in theory, anyway.' If the journey went on for longer, she was not going to complain.

Yao snorted. 'It is highly doubtful that troops would be the first people to ride towards a fire. We would most likely be reached by bandits first. We would need a more distinctive signal.'

Eva shuddered. She had seen enough of robbers to last her a lifetime. She looked up to the sky, wondering whether any of the members of the convoy had made it back safely. Had anyone seen them escape? Were they believed dead? Perhaps troops were looking for them right now... the idea of being found by them and brought to safety relieved and sickened her in equal proportion.

When they had finished eating, they curled under two blankets in the hollow, using their bags and cloaks as pillows. The night was cool, and Eva huddled close to Yao for warmth. He put a comforting arm around her.

'I'll see you in the morning,' she whispered. 'I love you.'

'Sleep well, Eva.' He hummed a quiet, pentatonic tune, and Eva wondered whether it was a lullaby. 'I love you too.'

Eva closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 - Flare**

Eva woke up to the red glow of sunlight behind her eyelids, and Yao's voice close by her ear, sounding more panicked than she had ever heard it.

'Hao Tian, what has happened to you? _Hao Tian!_ Eva, wake up!'

Her mind shook off the fog of sleep and she rolled out from under the blankets, staring across the hollow where Yao knelt beside his horse – his horse, which was stumbling, barely standing, and trembling violently. His eyes were rolling and his muzzle was flecked in foam. Something was badly wrong.

'Yao!' Eva called, getting to her feet and moving swiftly to his side. 'What has happened?'

'Hao Tian is clearly in a bad way,' he informed her, 'but I can't tell what's wrong. He could have caught an infection, but it seems unlikely... he hasn't seen any other horses in days.'

'Could we have overrun him?' Eva suggested, feeling stricken with guilt. 'That gallop away from the Ninja... he was going so fast...'

'He's had worse,' Yao said distractedly, running his hands along Hao Tian's legs, and wincing as he felt the temperature. 'And this doesn't seem like just fatigue... it's as though...' Then he let out a strangled groan. 'Eva. Look at this.'

She moved closer, and saw, with a jolt of horror, a long, deep, narrow gash running along the inside of Hao Tian's right foreleg. It was bright red and inflamed, clearly more than just a cut. Just like Yao's had been, on that awful day when...

Would a Ninja's poison work on a horse?

'They must have hit him with a shuriken during the chase,' Yao whispered. 'He's brave and strong, he kept going with it, but now the poison is taking effect. I suppose it must work more slowly on horses.'

Eva realised with a sinking feeling that Hao Tian wasn't going to be able to move on for days – or perhaps even at all. The fact that he had managed to come so far with such an injury at all was something of a miracle. If they were to continue, it would be without him.

As though reading her mind, Yao turned to her. 'Eva... I can't and won't leave Hao Tian behind. He saved your life a few days ago – and he's saved mine countless times. He is and without doubt the best horse that I have ever had the honour of riding: I see him as a loyal companion, if not a friend. I have to do everything within my power to cure him.'

Eva nodded. 'Of course. I would do the same for a horse of mine.'

But her mind was racing, and she realised, with a slow panic, but growing all the time, that with this new limit, they _could_ not realistically make it to Higashi on their rations. They would be far slower on foot, and they would need to find more water, and food, well before the end of their journey. Even with soldiers searching for them, there was a chance that they might be found by bandits first. And even if they _did _make it, the damage might be already done: word might have been sent out to Germania of their death.

Unless... unless...

Eva's hands fiddled absently with the satchel that she had been using for a pillow. She tugged and kneaded the surface fretfully, tracing the contents of the bag through soft leather. What could they do? There had to be _something_.

And then, right at her fingertips, Eva felt them. Hard, cylindrical shapes, pressing through the fabric at the very bottom of her bag. She remembered the day when she had put them there, so long ago... Smuggled away a handful of stolen firecrackers, with the whimsical idea that they might come in useful someday...

'Yao!' she cried at the top of her voice.

He jumped as though he had been burnt, hands fumbling with the bottle of _kappa _that he had been applying to Hao Tian's wounds. 'Eva? What is it?'

'I have to confess to something.' She was tearing open her bag and flinging things from it, delving desperately for the bottom. 'You said before that we needed a signal...you remember when you showed me those fireworks that the men had taken without your permission, yes?'

'Vaguely...'

'Well. When they were on the table, I took a few of them.'

Yao whirled about, making the injured horse shy feebly backward. '_What?_'

'I'm sorry, but I thought they might come in useful – I wanted to have some of them, they were amazing. My point is, I have three with me now.'

His eyebrows contracted together with anxiety and tension. 'Eva, I'm appalled. I don't think you quite grasp the power of these imperial fireworks. There was enough explosive in those to _blow you to smithereens_, and put on a display besides – ' then he stopped, processing what she had said. 'You... you have them with you now?'

'Yes.' She held them out. 'Are you thinking what I'm thinking?'

Yao paused, and for a moment, he looked so thunderous that Eva wondered whether he was going to shout at her. 'You put yourself in danger for all those months... to bring these fireworks.'

'I was supervising them,' Eva said quietly.

Then, slowly, his face began to light up. 'But of course. You are the _one_ person who could keep a handful of imperial fireworks safe through everything we have endured. And now...'

'If there are any imperial guards hereabouts, these fireworks will bring them running within hours.'

Yao gave a long, low whistle. 'Eva, you are a tactical genius. The Emperor would give lands to have people like you in his army. But there are many risks. Neither of us has let off fireworks before. And supposing there are robbers closer by? Fireworks would be sure to attract them too.'

'I agree, that is a possibility. But we are going to have to take a chance, if we want to reach Higashi.' Eva sighed. 'I wish that we could simply give up. But we made a resolution, and we must follow it through, or die trying.'

Yao looked away from her, and methodically tied a final bandage around Hao Tian's leg. Then he crossed the ground over to her in a few short strides, and hugged her so firmly that her feet left the ground.

'I love you, Eva,' he whispered, 'I know that I've said it so many times already...'

She had to blink back tears again as looked up at him, at his beautiful hazel eyes, and his kind face and shining dark hair. 'The same to you,' she said quietly. 'You may have said 'I love you' before, but I think that it is a phrase that bears repeating.'

He leaned forward to kiss her, and they could both feel the urgency of time running out.

~O~

It was a day fraught and long with waiting. Neither of them drank a great deal, and they ate still less. Eva's stomach was tied in knots with anxiety, and her mind ached with worries and calculations. How far away could the fireworks be seen from? How long would it take a guard of soldiers to reach them? Would Hao Tian survive the journey back, with proper treatment? And what if nobody came? What would they do then? The idea of returning to the little wood came unbidden to her mind, but she pushed it away determinedly.

The questions buzzed in her skull like the persistent flies, black and crawling, tormenting her until she wanted to cry out. She found that if she kept her hands busy, it was easier not to think, and so she sat by Hao Tian throughout the day, tending to his injuries and talking to him quietly. She kept the real flies from his injury, brushing and swatting them away when he no longer had the strength to. But like the worries in her mind, they never took long to return.

On a small mound a little way away from the hollow, Yao was creating pits to stand the fireworks in – he told her that this was the way it was done in Higashi displays. He used his knife as a trowel to lever away the earth, then stood the red cylinder in the centre of the hole, pointing upwards, with the papery fuse trailing out to the side. He steadied the fireworks in their pits with a lattice of kindling, creating a structure that would fall away the moment the firework shot into the sky.

By mid-afternoon, the work was finished. Eva and Yao stood back together and looked at the triangle of fireworks, spots of crimson against the fresh brown earth. Their best hope for making it to Higashi alive. But also a colossal gamble.

'What now?' Eva said, feeling the need to whisper, though she scarcely knew why.

Yao squeezed her hand. 'Now we wait for evening, and pray that the sky stays clear.'

~O~

And thank goodness, it did.

The sun sank in the horizon, royal red and wreathed in golden cloud, leaving the sky above to fade from duck-egg green, to turquoise, to deep, rich blue. The new, young moon was a crescent of purest white, with the dark form of the old moon held in her arms. A few stars appeared in the east, where it was darkest. A cool breeze fluttered over the plain, swaying the grasses and ruffling Eva's hair. Yao lit the fire in the centre of their hollow.

It was time.

She stood beside the shivering form of Hao Tian as Yao climbed the slope, declaring it too dangerous for her to be near, and predicting that his horse would need comfort to stop him panicking.

'He has kept a cool head in every battle we have been in,' Yao had said, 'But in his current state, I don't want to take any chances.'

She reached out in the twilight and stroked Hao Tian's dark nose. 'It's going to be alright,' she said, as much to reassure herself as him. 'You'll see.'

Yao knelt beside the first firework, which they had agreed they would set off as a test shot. He pulled out his flint-spark and lit a piece of kindling. It flared yellow against the blue darkness, and illuminated his face from below in an unsettling manner, before settling down to a ruddy, orange glow.

'This is it,' he called out to Eva. She held her breath and clenched her fists, her stomach taut with anxiety. He lowered the lighted wood to the wick of the firework, and held it there for a few moments. Beside her, Hao Tian shifted nervously –

And then Yao was sprinting back towards her and the fuse was alight, burning in a crackle of golden sparks, fizzing and sputtering and getting closer and closer to the firework –

It stopped.

Then there was a loud _woosh_, which made Eva start and Hao Tian whinny, and it shot into the sky, trailing sparks, higher and higher, until it was almost invisible.

With a _BOOM_ that had Eva covering her ears, the firework went off.

Nothing could have prepared for it. The tiny prick of golden light exploded into a mushroom of red and gold sparks across the whole sky, crackling and screeching and branching off into more _booms, _fountains of deafening crimson, and they lit the ground below, too, so that she could see Yao as he appeared beside her and looped and arm around her waist and quieted the panicking Hao Tian...

And then, as suddenly as it had started, it was over. The fireworks faded into the sky, and the evening was still again. Nothing remained but the scent of gunpowder in the air.

Eva's ears were ringing, and it took her a few moments to find her voice. 'That... that was...'

Yao nodded, and even in the dark she could see his smile. '...Amazing, wasn't it? Those fireworks will have been seen from leagues away.'

'I was going to say 'terrifying', actually. How are these things _made?_'

Yao laughed. 'I have no idea.' His brow furrowed. 'Eva, are you quite alright?'

'I'm very shocked, but other than that, I am fine, thank-you.' She paused, trying to collect her thoughts. 'I had no idea they would be so... _loud_.'

He kissed her on the forehead. 'Now do you see why I tried to keep them away from you?'

'Yes. Very much so.'

He laughed again, and Eva wondered at his enthusiasm. 'But we need to be quick, now. We must set off the second one.'

'_What?_ – '

But he was already gone again, racing up the hill with his splint to the place where the other fireworks stood. Eva stood frozen in dread, one hand clenched around Hao Tian's bridle. The paper was lit... the fuse was sparking... and Yao was running into the gloaming again, just in time...

They chased away into the sky, up, and up, and up, until they were invisible... and then the barrage of explosions filled the air again. This time, instead of red, the sparks were green and violet, intermingling with the gold like precious jewels. Eva found herself almost getting used to the deafening bangs, and gradually, the display in the sky above her began to seem less like a war and more like a work of art.

She rubbed one hand against Hao Tian's neck as he snorted nervously beside her, and watched with something near disappointment as the second set of sparkles faded away above them.

'We should wait a little while, now,' Yao said. 'We will need the last firework to guide them in.'

So Eva and Yao sat themselves down in the hollow beside Hao Tian, and Eva rested her head on his shoulder, and looked up at the silver-studded sky. A few tendrils of bluish smoke curled across from the hillock towards them, and Eva coughed.

'Yao... how do you find your way by the stars?'

'Well.' Yao paused for a moment. 'Navigating using the stars can be simple or complicated, depending on the amount of detail with which one does it. But the most basic method that I use is the North Star.'

'The star that is always in the North of the sky?' Eva shifted. 'I think I've heard of it.'

'Probably. Finding it is quite simple, once you know how.'

'Teach me,' Eva said, then blushed at the directness of her order. 'Please.'

Yao laughed. 'By all means, your Highness.' He pointed up at the sky. 'Do you know the constellation, the Plough?'

'No.'

'It has the shape of a square, with a handle coming out to the left...'

'Oh! We call it the Saucepan in Germania.'

'You know the one I mean, then.' He pointed upwards, and Eva saw the constellation in the sky. 'Find the star at the far right of the Plough – or Saucepan.'

'Yes.'

'And then, follow the straight line from that star with your eyes, until you reach the next bright star.'

Eva tried to do so, leaning backwards until she was looking almost behind her. 'I think I've found it!'

'And that is the North Star.'

Eva turned around so she was facing it. 'So that's North... and Higashi is to our East... Yao, that is astounding!' She laughed delightedly. 'I can find North from anywhere now!'

'It is only a rough estimate, and it changes with the seasons, but yes, as long as you can see the plough, you can find the North Star.'

Eva sat in silence for a little while, and looked at the stars, spread out in the heavens above them, tiny specks of light against a background of darkest blue. 'Yao, do you feel small when you look out to the stars?'

'Yes. Very.'

'It's almost frightening,' Eva said, and Yao turned around the same way as her, and looked into her face.

'Yes, it is. But it's also amazing, don't you think? It makes one feel fortunate to be alive.'

Eva nodded. 'To be alive, to see the stars, and know you.' She reached up to touch his face. 'Who could ask for more?'

'I'll remember tonight as long as I live.'

He kissed her, gently, and Eva suddenly realised that it would be for the last time. So she held him tighter, and sighed and tried to sear this into her memories, to treasure in her mind forever. Time seemed to stop, to leave them be for a while, to have this final moment for themselves.

But of course, time had to start again. And all too soon, a shout cut through the night, which seemed to have become far darker.

'HOY! Owners of Imperial Fireworks!'

'Who are you?'

'Where are you?'

The voice came from some distance away, but the words were all distinguishable. Eva immediately recognised the polished, clear dialect of Higashi.

The soldiers had found them.

Yao pulled away from her, and he was suddenly on his feet, relighting the kindling and shouting back in the direction that they had come.

'Here! To the north-west of you!'

He set off into the darkness, and in another moment, the now-familiar flare of a fuse lit up the night, and the third and final firework was shooting into the sky.

It exploded in a mass of sky blue and silver, twirling and whistling above Eva with noise she scarcely noticed. She moved over to the light of the fire and began to use their water –suddenly surplus to requirements – to clear the sweat and grime and tears from her face. She tied on her cloak, straightened her clothes and re-braided her mussed hair. She was a Princess again, now.

Yao took a little longer to return to the camp than the first two times, and he found Eva sitting neatly on a folded blanket, her bag of belongings on the floor beside her, and a stick of incense burning next to the fire. She looked up at him, and kept all expression from her face.

'Yao, there's enough water left in the gourd for you to wash your face, if you'd like.'

He paused for a moment, and then nodded, his expression inscrutable. 'Where did you find the incense?'

'It was in my satchel. I began carrying it about with me, because I liked the scent.' She was unable to keep a small smile from her face. 'You see that my bag was full of useless things.'

'I can hardly agree, your Highness. It strikes quite the right tone of civility.'

'Thank-you. I think that we should try to keep up appearances. Which is why I put your belongings on the other side of the fire to mine.'

Yao gave a half-smile. 'Quite.'

And then he sat down, and together, with the bitter-sweet incense burning between them, they waited.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: This is where this story starts diverging. There are two possible endings to this fic - I won't tell you anything about them except that I call them ending I and ending II. So every chapter after this one will be written with a I or a II after the chapter number. The chapters may also have different names, as the content will be different. **

**I'm going to post the whole of ending I, followed by the whole of ending II, so that it's simple for people to read them one after the other. Ending I was the original ending - ending II was an afterthought, but such a neat one that I felt that I just had to write it. ^_^**

**I'd just like to end by reiterating: thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story - especially the anonymous people, because I can't actually reply to you, which makes me immensely sad. Thanks also to all the favers and alerters, and even the Ninjas - but just a word of warning. Remember what happened to that Ninja who got in Yao's way a few chapters back? That could happen to you. Being a Ninja is a dangerous occupation. It's much, much better to be a decent, fair square _reviewer! _**

**From my point of view, anyway. =P**

**Farewell, but NOT forever,**

**Essence of Gold**


	14. Chapter 14

** Chapter 14 I – And Last**

**~O~**

The morning after Eva and Yao's escape, a messenger had arrived in Higashi with news of the raid. Within hours, groups of soldiers had been out and scouring the country for them, from the foothills of Hima to the Kawa river. Their attackers had been a band of _Ninja _that were notorious in the region for their unpredictable and lethal raids. The convoy had survived, but just. There had been many casualties and three of the women had been kidnapped before the Ninja were defeated. The messenger had reported that Princess Eva and Captain Yao had escaped, but that their whereabouts and safety were unknown.

When the flares had been sent up, the nearest group of soldiers had headed towards it as fast as they could. They had discovered the Princess and the Captain, looking tired and travel-worn but otherwise unhurt, and had provided them with food, water, and new clothing. They had also seen to Hao Tian's leg.

They waited for a few days, until Hao Tian was deemed fit to travel, and then took them to the nearest village. There was some argument as to how Eva should ride, until she settled it by informing the soldiers that she had ridden behind Yao at full gallop as they fled the _Ninja, _and so she was not particular. Even so, the, both for the injured Hao Tian and for the Princess's comfort, the group proceeded at a moderate walking pace.

**~O~**

When she arrived in Higashi, Eva was fussed over and cosseted to within an inch of her life. Everybody at the royal court seemed to have come to the decision that she should be treated like the frailest of invalids, and she was taken to be first bathed, and then dressed in soft silk robes, and then fed only the mildest and softest food. Although she insisted that she needed no special care, and that she was quite alright, but for her tiredness, Eva couldn't help but relish the comfort of a soft bed and good food again. So she allowed herself to be looked after for a full day and a half before insisting that she was well enough to at least have her first audience with the Emperor.

**~O~**

They met in a sunlit room in the South of the palace – once tea had been placed before them, the servants bowed and took their leave. For a moment, both of them sat in silence, quietly taking in one another. Then Kiku lowered his head in a small bow.

'Princess Eva of Germania. It is an honour to meet you at last.'

Very carefully, Eva bowed back – the precise, graceful court bow which Yao had taught her months ago. 'It is an honour to meet you, too, Emperor Kiku.'

She was pleasantly surprised to find that he was as young and well-mannered as she had been promised – which made the painful task that she had set herself far easier. Most of the time, he was quiet, with large, dark brown eyes and pale skin; when he spoke, he did so clearly and correctly, without wasting words. Though he was small in stature, he radiated inner confidence and a certain majesty that made up for his height. Eva tried not to compare him to Yao in all he did, and failed miserably.

When he was younger, he told her, he had never expected to be the Middle Kingdom's emperor – instead, he had planned to devote his life to spiritual and martial arts. When he was sixteen, his father and older brother had both died, and there had been no-one to assume the throne but him. It wasn't the ideal life for him, he confessed, but it was the life that he had been given.

Eva smiled sadly. 'When I was younger, I always wished to be a huntress or a Cossack, so I know how you feel.'

'A Cossack?' Kiku frowned. 'But you would need to ride for that profession, would you not?'

She sighed, feeling as though she was beginning her struggles all over again. 'I can ride. In Germania, many women are excellent riders. We have special saddles, to accommodate our skirts – '

'Really?' Kiku looked perturbed, but also intrigued.

'When I was in Germania, Captain Yao made the mistake of thinking that riding using a side-saddle would be easy.' Eva was unable to keep from smiling at the memory. 'Once he had learnt otherwise from experience, he became far more respectful of my equestrian ability. We rode together often.'

Kiku nodded, and Eva suddenly felt disconcerted by the speculative look he gave her. 'Indeed. I expect you miss him, after the ordeal you went through together.'

Eva kept her eyes down as she nodded. 'A little. I would never have survived without him – he is the only reason why I am here today.'

'He is a magnificent Captain,' Kiku agreed. 'I trust him absolutely. I have never known him to fail in his duty.'

Eva nodded, thinking while she did so of how nearly she and Yao had forsaken all duty for each-other.

**~O~**

Her wedding was an enormous affair. Thousands of people came to the palace to see the official union between the two kingdoms take place, and she was terrified of doing something wrong.

She had woken up before dawn to get ready. Her hair was washed, perfumed, and waxed into a smooth golden bun atop her head – a process that Eva thought might have originated as a method of torture. The women who served her sighed in delight over the colour of her hair, but exclaimed in horror whenever they looked at her feet.

'Monstrous!' one old lady had said, looking as though she might faint. 'If Kiku's mother the Empress had been here to see...'

Eva had gritted her teeth. 'My feet are the right size for me. I would not want them to be any different. And besides, they are always hidden beneath my kimono, so there is no trouble.'

The old woman had clucked in despair and hobbled away.

Eva's face was powdered pink and white, and dark sweeps of black added above her eyes. Her lips were painted a deep crimson, and an _obi_ – the silk belt that tied her kimono – was wrapped around her waist. It was so long that it could have stretched three times across her large dressing-room, and a counter-weight was hung on her front to stop her toppling backwards under the weight of the trailing ends.

She looked in the mirror, and scarcely recognised herself. It wasn't a Princess looking back at her anymore – it was an Empress.

When she was finally ready, she ascended the steps towards Kiku, slowly, and she imagined that she could feel the burning of a thousand eyes on her back. She stood before him, bowed as low as she could, and then looked out over the crowds, searching for the face that she longed to see.

Yao was at the very front of the guests, dressed in magnificent red and gold. He was looking at her, and Eva could tell, even from her elevated position, that his face was twisted with sadness.

She quickly looked back to Kiku, and kept her eyes on him for the rest of ceremony, but in her mind, Yao was all she was seeing.

**~O~**

Afterwards, as she was circulating, and accepting congratulations, she met him. For a moment, both of them stood there, neither speaking. Then Eva gave a bow.

'Thank-you for coming, Captain,' she said.

He sighed. 'Of course I came. How odd would it have looked if I hadn't?'

Eva curved her painted lips into a smile. 'You make a valid point.'

There was a pause, and then Yao cleared his throat.

'I'm leaving in a few days, for central Russe, as we discussed... before. I probably won't see you again before I leave.'

'Oh, no!' Eva blurted, before she could stop herself. 'I mean – you must be careful. The work that you are doing is so dangerous.'

'I will be meeting some troops of your country there,' Yao said, ignoring her. 'We will be working in collaboration. It will be quite strange talking in Germanian to someone other than you.'

'Yes,' Eva said, in a small voice. 'Well, you have all my... good wishes. Make sure that you take care of yourself.'

'I will,' he promised. 'And you, too.'

Eva laughed humourlessly. 'Because my life here is _so _fraught with danger! Fighting back Barbarians in the Russean wastes pales in significance to the peril of being a jewel on the Emperor's arm.'

Yao stopped smiling. 'Never think of yourself as just a jewel, Eva. You are the reason why this alliance is happening at all. You, and your courage, and your goodness.'

'No.' Eva looked directly into his eyes. 'This alliance is happening because of _us_.'

Yao paused, then lowered his voice almost to a whisper. 'You look so beautiful today, Eva. It's heart-breaking.'

Eva felt the sadness rise up, and it was all she could do not to begin to cry. Yao held out his hand, and she clasped it in hers. For a few long moments, they held one-another, in a gesture that to the rest of the guests would look like Western formality. A hand-shake.

'I'm so proud of you,' he said.

Eva gulped, and nodded. 'If you want to be alright in Russe, you will. There's no question about it.'

Yao laughed. 'Why shouldn't I be alright? I have plenty to live for.'

**~O~**

Her family had been told of her safe arrival in Higashi, and although the attack had been mentioned, Eva made sure that the details of it were toned down. She had no wish of her father knowing how close she had come to death during her voyage.

A few years later – the roads were safer already – her family paid a royal visit of state to Higashi. A huge weight seemed to be rolled briefly away from her as she set eyes on them again. She was weeping as she embraced them, and, as she spoke to them in Germanian, she felt as though a dam had been released between her mind and her mouth, and the words poured out, toppling over one another in their haste to be heard.

She stayed up talking with Elizabeta late into the night, and they exchanged stories of everything that had passed since they had last seen one another. Eva listened intently as Elizabeta told her the story of Roderich and Vash, and Elizabeta's efforts to reconcile them to one another. Eva noticed the new closeness between her brothers with relief and affection. She also rejoiced in the match between her brother and her best friend, though the obvious love between the newly married couple made her heart ache.

Elizabeta was the only person with whom Eva shared the whole story of her journey to Higashi. Her friend was captivated by the whole tale – but as Eva concluded her story, both of them were in tears. Elizabeta held her close, and as she cried, Eva felt a new sense of release wash over her. She had told someone. She had shared her pain, and somehow, that made it easier to bear.

It was Elizabeta's idea that she should write it down, and so, during the three months that the Germanian royal family were in Higashi, Eva began to document the whole tale, from start to finish. She wrote in Germanian, and on the few occasions when she worried about her journal being discovered, Elizabeta laughed.

'Nobody from the Middle Kingdom will be able to understand this,' she commented, leafing through the pages of spidery prose. 'They would probably think that you wrote it in your sleep!'

Elizabeta would take the account back to Germania with her, it was decided, and keep it somewhere safe and private. Every now and again, she added parts of her own, documenting the way in which Eva's family had coped during her months of separation, and all in all, the account equalled some hundred pages by the time it was finished. When Kiku asked what she was writing, she told him that it was a memoir of her journey. To her relief, he never asked her any more than that, though he sometimes looked as though he would like to.

She heard news from Captain Yao occasionally, delivered by courier from the front lines. They were making continual good progress, he said. He missed Higashi, but he also enjoyed his work, especially the freedom of the Russean plains – it was almost a shame to civilise them. He was considering the idea of the sea as a method of trade, especially in the winter, when even southern Russe became bitterly cold. Germania and the Middle Kingdom were beginning to truly unite.

He was well, and he hoped that the Emperor and she were too.

Eva often thought of him, galloping across the grass and snow. Not on Hao Tian, though – he had been retired after his recovery, and gone to stud. Some new horse, then – but one that was just as brave and handsome as Hao Tian had been. Yao would be a noble horseman, she thought, and a guardian angel for travellers, making their way across land. She wished that she could join him.

But her duties in Higashi were important, too – as Empress, she tried to influence the amount of freedom that women had in the Middle Kingdom, as well as giving her opinion on matters of state. Kiku soon learnt to take her judgments seriously, and though Eva knew there were those who considered her to be outspoken and uncultured, she was beginning to make a difference. She had begun to see young women and girls riding gingerly about on side-saddles, and nobody complained about the size of her feet anymore.

On the day before her family was due to leave, Princess Eva stayed up very late, her pen scudding across the paper in order to finish the story. And she managed it... although, on reading it through, she felt that there was so much more that she wanted to tell. There are some things that can't be expressed on paper, and some days which are so full that recording every detail would take a hundred pages in itself. A story can never truly amount to a life. But, in a rough way, a life can be told in the words of a story.

Eva's tale was one of love and duty, and the pain that comes when one is forced to choose between them. She hoped that few other people would have to endure that pain, and that those who must choose will choose wisely. The answer is never the same for every person.

**~O~**

_I wait for the ink to dry on the final page of parchment, and then I gather it up with the rest, stacking the thick sheets neatly together. I pick up my lamp, slip out of the room and pad down the corridor, down to the room where Elizabeta and my brother are sleeping. I slide open the door and cross quietly over to where Elizabeta lies. I shake her a little. _

'_Liza.'_

_She wakes up a little. 'Eva?' _

'_I'm finished. Where shall I put it?'_

_She frowns for a moment, then nods. 'Bag at the end of my bed.'_

_I nod, and move away. I carefully put the sheaf of papers into her bag, and when I look up, she is already asleep again, cuddling towards Roderich for warmth. He smiles in his sleep. I watch them for a moment, and then turn quietly away. _

_That might have been Yao and I, but I chose another path. I may not be happy, but I believe that I have done the right thing. I have done my duty, to my family, my friends, and my country. Who would be a Princess? We can't fall in love, because however wonderful the man may be, unless he is a Prince, we will never have a happy ending. _

_I return to my room, and look out of the window. There are thousands of stars tonight, covering the sky. In the garden beneath my window, the crickets chirp, and a fountain bubbles. The cool night air brushes my face._

_With my eyes, I trace the lines of the Plough, the Saucepan, up to the North Star. I remember Yao's voice in my ear, and his warm arm around my waist, and how, even when we were running for our lives, I never felt truly scared. I would have held that night forever, with the scent of gunpowder in the air, and the rough grass below us. _

_Suddenly, the stars are swimming in the sky, silver smudges against the midnight blue. Silly Eva, crying about things that you can't change! I wipe my eyes and take a deep, shuddering breath. There. The stars are clear again, now. Just like the memories in my head, they will stay there, shining and bright, and I will look at them often. Their beauty will never fade. But I will never reach them. _

_Perhaps it is foolish, to want to catch a star? _

_I pick up my lamp and walk into my bedroom, where my husband lies, asleep, a book still open in his hand. He must have been waiting up for me. I smile, and take it away gently. Then I change into my night-gown, and climb in beside him, pulling the covers up over me. _

_If it is dark, I can imagine that it is Yao in this bed, breathing, warm. Maybe one day, I will be able to go to sleep without thinking that, but for now, I don't want to. I don't want my heart –our hearts – to heal. Not just yet. Bittersweet, like incense... unreachable, like a star. Even heartbreaking love is beautiful. _

_Yao, I love you._

_I reach over, pause, and then blow out the lamp. _

'_It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.'  
><em>**Samuel Butler**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Ending I - finished. **

**T.B.C.**


	15. Chapter 14 II

**Chapter 14 II – Love**

**愛**

When the soldiers found them, Eva was quiet and composed. While they shouted and bowed and asked questions, she sat with her head high and spoke slowly and calmly. She felt as though she was as thin and untouchable as the air – their words seemed to pass straight through her. She allowed herself to be caught and pulled along with the intentions of those around her. She offered no resistance.

After the first flurry of activity had died down, Yao beckoned the leader of the patrol towards him. Very quietly and quickly, in _Hanyu _that Eva strained and failed to understand, he said something to him. The commander's eyes flickered once towards Eva, and then swiftly away as he saw her watching. He nodded once, as though to give a swift and discreet acknowledgement. Then he called his men over and barked something to them in a strange dialect – almost another language entirely. The only words that Eva could understand were 'Captain Yao' and 'Germania'. The men saluted once, and bowed before dispersing again.

'What was the subject of that conversation?' Eva asked, when Yao rejoined her. 'I had some difficulty in understanding it.'

'Other than the Captain, all these men are from a far Southern province of the Middle Kingdom. They speak _Hanyu_ with a very different dialect. You aren't expected to be able to interpret them,' Yao replied, giving her a tired smile.

He had not answered her question. Eva frowned, and almost argued, before deciding that she was too tired. After all that they had been through together, one thing that she was certain of was that she could trust Yao. She could only hope that he would tell her what she wanted to know in due time – at a better time.

A soldier came over to her, holding a cup of steaming jasmine tea. She accepted it with a smile and a nod of thanks, and he bowed very low before retreating backwards away from her. She inhaled the delicate, fragrant steam, and then drank, slowly, in small sips, until all that was left were a few dregs at the very bottom of the cup. She held her head high, and her cup delicately between two hands – just as Yao had taught her.

**~O~**

When their small, practical convoy finally entered the city of Higashi, there was no cheering. There was not any waving, or any screaming.

Instead, there were ranks and ranks of bowing citizens, lined to meet them along the streets. As Eva and Yao's carriage passed, they seemed to fold down upon themselves like a gigantic wave, silent and graceful, with scarcely a sound.

Eva peered out of the carriage window to see if they would straighten up again before they rounded a corner, but none of them did.

'They're all so quiet,' she whispered to Yao, who sat opposite her. It seemed improper to raise her voice. 'Is it always like this... when..?'

'The citizens of Higashi always bow when royalty passes them by,' Yao said in a low voice. Then he looked away, and neither of them spoke again.

When they finally drew up at the Palace gates, Eva could not hold back a gasp of wonderment.

Tall as the highest trees in her father's grounds, and decorated ornately in red and gold, the gates were the most magnificent thing that she had seen since she had left Germania, months before. Possibly, they were the most magnificent things that she had seen in her life. Intricately crafted dragons coiled around the pillars, baring their teeth and glaring with eyes that seemed to shine with their own life.

'We go through here?' she said to Yao. She gulped back a feeling of panic. This was too much for her.

He reached across the seat, and for the briefest of moments, held her hands between his. 'Eva,' he whispered, 'I know that you have the power to make this place your home.'

She looked across at him, composed and noble and smiling into her eyes. She felt her breath begin to flow more easily again. She would be alright. They would be alright.

She was entering this place as an Empress.

**~O~**

They were separated at the gates, and for several days, Eva did nothing.

Every morning when she woke up, she asked to see the Emperor.

They would smile, and tell her that he was busy.

She would nod, and then ask – her heart fluttering, in spite of herself – if she might see Captain Yao.

They would shake their heads apologetically and say that he was busy too. He had much business to attend to after his long journey.

Eva would try her hardest not to become angry. She would smile, and thank them, and ask if she might then be allowed to dress by herself, and perhaps meet with one of the women from her entourage, or go riding.

On the first two days, they refused her that – but on the third, she put some of her father's steel into her green eyes, and they hurried out to see what could be done.

Over those days, Eva learnt many things.

She was told that a whole new wardrobe of shoes was going to be made for her, because nobody in their wildest dreams had expected her feet to be so large. On seeing them, several of her serving women had cried out in shock, and one elderly lady had fainted away. It had taken her almost half an hour to convince them that this was the normal and natural size for her feet to be, and that she was perfectly happy with them to stay exactly the way that they were.

She discovered that, once they had recovered from the initial surprise of seeing a lady ride, the members of the palace whom she saw seemed intrigued rather than disapproving at the idea of side-saddles. Several eminent ladies of the palace ordered for side-saddles to be made for them or their daughters, and, before the guards that she passed sank into bows, Eva caught many of them eyeing her in an admiring manner.

She learnt that the food sometimes seemed to taste of nothing, and at other times far too much. She learnt that it was polite for her to try a little of everything, and to fill her bowl up again and again until she could eat no more. She learnt that she had her favourites, like roast duck; and she learnt that some foods, such as lychees, well and truly turned her stomach.

And finally, she realised that nobody was going to tell her anything about the Emperor. When she tried to work around to him subtly in conversation, the subject was always artfully changed. When she tried to ask about him outright, her servants would exchange knowing smiles, or apprehensive, conspiratorial glances, and then bow very deeply before offering a thousand apologies. In bed at night, Eva wanted to scream in frustration. She was going to _marry _the man. She should be allowed to know something about him!

Her own speculations led her nowhere. She thought of every man of the Middle Kingdom that she had seen thus far, and tried and tried not to think of Yao. But she knew, with a sick feeling in her heart, that it was no use.

No matter what this Emperor was like, she would be thinking of her Captain for every moment that she spent in his company.

Then, finally, one morning, exactly a week after her arrival, her servants told her.

'The Emperor is ready to see you.'

One small, angry part of her wanted to tell them to let _him _wait. Why should he be allowed to decide when and how they were to meet? But after a short battle, prudence and curiosity won out. She nodded in consent.

'Take me to him,' she said.

It was arranged that they would meet in the southern sunroom for tea and breakfast, she was told. The sunroom was an auspicious place for the meeting, full of light – it would symbolise that heaven had smiled upon their relationship. Eva bit her lip and said nothing. The sun would symbolise nothing for her. Many heavens had smiled upon her and Yao – sunsets, sunrises, hot, midsummer afternoons. Stars.

Eva was dressed in a kimono that made her gasp and run her fingers gently over the silk. It was a bright, warm, amber – 'golden, like your hair', they said – and it was decorated with Autumn leaves and beautifully embroidered Koi fish. Eva could barely see the tiny stitches, though she lifted the sleeve close up to her eyes. Her hair was coiled back into a bun, and fastened tightly with a golden comb; her features were outlined in charcoal and paint.

They told her that she was ready.

**~O~**

To reach the Southern Sunroom, Eva had to pass through countless doors and traverse great, echoing corridors. Low, golden autumn sunshine slanted in through every window. When Eva walked through a patch of light, the golden thread of her dress would glimmer and cast reflections on the walls. The dignitary who led her looked back over his shoulder at her every now and again, and past his warm, solicitous smile, Eva thought that she caught a glimmer of genuine excitement. He had dark, shining hair, pale skin and delicate stature, and looked much the same as the Emperor of Eva's imaginings.

They crossed a short courtyard, rounded one more corner, and then, finally, they came to a stop in front of a simple sliding door. 'We are here,' her guide announced.

The servants on either side of Eva bowed and took their places beside the door, where two guards and two female maids were already waiting. The guards looked fairly stoic, but the maids, young, with identical neat straight haircuts, seemed to be beside themselves with excitement.

'Th-there is tea waiting for you inside, Princess Eva,' one of them blurted, bowing very low.

'Thank-you very much,' Eva said, smiling. She inclined her head towards the maid who had spoken. 'I trust that the Emperor is there, too?'

The dignitary nodded silently, and took a step to one side. Eva took her cue to move forward. One of the guards silently pulled the door open for her, and she took a deep breath, held her head high, and stepped through the threshold into the room.

She decided immediately that the name 'sunroom' was very apt indeed. Bright golden light poured forth from a bay of wide windows, illuminating the whole room with a glow at seemed almost divine. After the gloom of the corridor, the sudden brightness of the sunroom was startling, and for a moment Eva could only stand and squint as her eyes adjusted.

It was a wide, airy room, with a honey-coloured wooden floor that gleamed in the golden light. One wall was dominated by a gorgeously detailed tapestry of the Eastern zodiac, but the others were totally bare. A breath-taking view of the palace gardens was spread out beyond the window. For a moment, all that Eva could do was stare out at the wide, cold blue sky and blowing autumn leaves outside.

Then she noticed that Emperor was standing at the edge of the room, with his back to her, looking out of the window.

Eva's heart seemed to jolt unpleasantly within her, and suddenly she felt sick with nerves. She took in every detail of the man in front of her – his rich red kimono, his moderate build, his dark hair, cut sharply to just below his ears. He was motionless, and, to her, he seemed still barely more than a silhouette against the bright windows. Eva took another deep breath, and braced herself. She was going to get this over with.

She bowed, not too low, and loudly cleared her throat. 'Emperor Kiku – '

The Emperor must not have heard her come in, because he started violently at her words. Eva took a step forward, and as she did so, he began to turn around, exclaiming as he did so:

'Eva!'

Eva was rooted to the spot.

_She knew that voice! _

She felt as though she had been struck by lightning, or fallen very hard off a horse – the world seemed to screech to a halt around her. Her eyes widened and she pulled in a gasp of air as the Emperor swung around to face her. Somehow, she knew those eyes, she knew that face, she knew _him_, somehow, _somehow_...

And then she was running forward, and she was exclaiming too, her heart bursting with shock and disbelief and love.

'Captain _Yao!_'

**~O~**

There was a time, later that day, when Eva became quite angry.

Yao – _No, Kiku, Emperor Kiku – _had to explain himself again and again, telling her how much he had wanted to tell her before now, how much he had hated to see her so sad, and how happy he was now that she knew the truth. Eva had almost got to her feet and left him a few times, before sitting back down, her arms tightly crossed over her chest, while the Emperor poured her more tea and told her the story, yet again, from the beginning.

'From the earliest stages of the plan for our alliance, I was always certain that I wanted to marry somebody that I truly loved,' he said, with a heart-melting expression of pleading affection on his face. 'I wanted to meet a person who valued my true self, rather than my position as Emperor, and to value that person for herself, too. Therefore, I decided that in order to know you truly, I would have to meet you first, not as an Emperor, but as someone of lower state.

'I also knew that you would have to make an exceedingly dangerous journey to meet me, and it seemed unfair that I shouldn't have to undergo the same hardships. As you made your perilous journey to the Middle Kingdom, I wanted to protect you myself. So I decided to make the journey to Germania, myself, against the pleas of even my most trusted advisor, Kiku – '

'Oh. Another Kiku?' Eva said waspishly.

'It's a fairly common name here in the Middle Kingdom. When I am with him, I usually go by my second name – Yao – simply to avoid confusion.'

'Although you are the Emperor?'

Yao smiled. 'I prefer the name Yao, and we feel that Kiku suits him better. You have met him, actually: he was the dignitary who escorted you here today.'

Eva breathed in, and then out again, slowly, through her nostrils. 'So, despite his warnings, you decided to travel half-way across the world _just for the sake of – _'

'For the sake of my honour, and of our alliance!' He hesitated. 'Your father said that he thought that it was laudable of me.'

Eva almost dropped her tea-cup. 'My _father knew?' _She slammed it down onto the table and leant towards Yao, her fists clenching in her lap. 'And who else? Your guards? My ladies-in-waiting? The whole convoy? All of you, keeping a secret, letting me think that I was falling in love, coming within a hair's breadth of betraying everybody... everybody who had ever meant _anything_ to me – '

'Eva – '

'So that you could prove to yourself... that you were just as good as a _feeble woman, _I bet – '

'_Eva!_ I wanted to fall in love with you!' Yao cut across her, almost shouting. 'What I wanted, more than anything, was for our marriage to be real!'

Eva felt her eyes burning. 'Do you know how hard it was to – '

Yao all but threw himself across the low table to kiss her.

Eva found her next words swallowed up and consumed as his lips met hers, and for a moment she thought, embarrassed, about the possibility that the maids might be listening outside. But then she threw caution to the wind and kissed Yao back, with all her might, putting all her love and joy and anger and hurt into the feeling of his skin against hers, the sensations that she had prepared herself never to feel again. A part of her was cautious, unwilling to open herself once more, and to expose her heart to more injury. But that part was quickly burning up, charring to cinders in the fire of her heart. Her doubts evaporated, curling up and away like tea-steam until they were lost in the light of the sunroom.

When she eventually pulled away from Yao, she was gasping for breath, and she felt her heart fluttering as though it was a bird. All that she could do was gaze at Yao for a few moments, but then she leant inwards, and said, with all the detachment she could muster:

'Who else knew?'

'None of the convoy,' Yao replied, resting his forehead on hers. 'The servants gossip terribly, and so many people in Higashi were aware of the plan. Your father knew, but nobody else in Germania... the Captain who found us knew who I was, but his men had no idea and I asked him not to tell them.' Then Yao leant even closer, and whispered, very quietly, in her ear.

'Eva... I want you to know that when we were in the clearing, I was ready to give up everything. The words that I said to you were not a test. They were spoken from the very bottom of my heart. Had you asked it, I would have lived there with you for the rest of my days.'

Eva felt her eyes fill with tears, and when she pulled back to look at him, she saw that his hazel eyes were over-bright.

'Truly?' she said, and cursed her voice for shaking. 'Swear it.'

He nodded. 'I swear by the sun and the earth... by our two Kingdoms, and by our two selves. I love you, Eva, completely and utterly, for eternity.'

'I love you, too,' Eva said. And what she spoke was the simple truth.

Later, Yao's advisor, Kiku, confessed that he had listened outside the room for some time. He told Eva that she had sounded so ferocious that a few times he had truly feared for the Emperor's life.

'Well,' Eva replied, with a steely edge to her tone, 'in Germania, we have a saying: "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned". I daresay that maxim holds true here in Higashi, too.'

**~O~**

'I cannot believe it!' Elizabeta said, loudly, with a laugh in her voice.

'It's true,' Eva assured her. Then she pointed. 'Look there, 'Liza! A Koi!' She let her horse bend down to drink the pond-water, and as it slurped noisily, the beautiful golden fish took fright and swam away.

'Your nice, gentle Kiku-I-mean-Yao out-galloped a pack of murderous bandits? After _killing _one of them himself?' Elizabeta shook her head in disbelief. 'That's like trying to imagine Roderich coming out the victor in a fist-fight with a blacksmith.'

Eva shook her head. 'I know that it sounds unlikely, especially since I made them tone down what they told you when you first got the letter telling of my journey. But Yao really did it. In all seriousness, he saved my life.'

Her family had taken advantage of the newly reformed road system between their two kingdoms – far safer already – to pay a royal visit of state to Higashi. A huge weight seemed to be rolled briefly away from her as she set eyes on them again. She was weeping as she embraced them, and, as she spoke to them in Germanian, she felt as though a dam had been released between her mind and her mouth, and the words poured out, toppling over one another in their haste to be heard. She and Elizabeta had been talking all afternoon, and Eva had told her friend the whole story of her journey to Higashi, leaving out no details.

Elizabeta's horse lifted its head and blew out gently. Small drops of water flicked through the air, catching the bright summer sunlight.

'How is Salzpfeffer?' Eva asked, suddenly.

'He's doing fine. Vash wanted to bring him with us, but I decided that the long journey might be too much for him.' Elizabeta grinned. 'He's gone to seed in the past three years – you should see him now. He's always the first to the door for feeding, and he's got enough white hairs to pass for a flea-bitten grey.'

Eva had to stifle a giggle at the idea.

'That's a new habit,' Elizabeta said, suddenly looking more serious.

Eva looked up. 'What do you mean?'

'You never used to cover your mouth when you laughed.' Elizabeta rode a little closer, placing a hand on Eva's. 'Are you sure that they're treating you well enough here? They're not squashing you?' Elizabeta sighed. I know that you love Yao, and that he loves you, but I want to make sure that you're happy here. You should be a ruling monarch... not just a wife.'

Elizabeta's eyes flicked downwards, briefly, and Eva's followed, knowing what her friend would be looking at. She put a hand protectively over her stomach, feeling, with a flutter of her heart, the small but pronounced bump which was growing there.

''Liza, look over there,' she said, suddenly, pointing. Elizabeta followed her gaze, as, between the trees, they watched another group of horses canter by, their riders laughing and calling to one another. As the two women listened, they could hear that some of the voices were unmistakeably female.

'That would never have happened before I arrived here,' Eva said, proudly. 'And there have been other things, too. The custom of binding young girl's feet to keep them small... Some barbaric practices to do with ritual suicide...'

Elizabeta started. '_What?'_

'I attend every meeting of state alongside Yao,' Eva said, proudly. 'I haven't been idle in my time here, you know.'

Elizabeta shook her head, a wondering expression on her face. Then she sighed. 'I'm sorry,' she said, quietly.

Eva felt surprised. 'For what?'

'For doubting you,' Elizabeta looked down. 'I should have known that your Uncle was right. I have no need to worry. You were _born_ to do this.'

Eva bit her lip. 'I wasn't born for it,' she said, gently, 'any more than you were. But I try my best, and I learn from my mistakes – and from other people's,' she added, 'and most of the time, it pays off.'

Elizabeta nodded, and a smile began to grow on her face.

'And, of course, it helps to have Yao there for emotional support,' she added, 'we nearly always agree about things, and so our united opinions generally have a lot of clout. But,' Eva added, 'I'm sure that you know all about the power of a good husband-wife alliance.'

Elizabeta laughed. 'Well, Roderich and I don't have to do very much yet. Your father is still in charge of Germania – and hopefully, he will be for many years to come.'

Eva nodded in agreement, and clucked her horse forward along the path. 'By the way,' she said, leaning back in her saddle, 'at some point, you have to give Yao and some of the highest Lords a demonstration of your equestrian skills. We want to convince them that women should be allowed to take jobs which involve the riding and care of horses, like couriering. You're a far better horsewoman than I am. If you can't convince them of the merits of the side-saddle, nobody can.'

'Challenge accepted,' Elizabeta grinned. 'And I think that I will bring Roderich along, too. He'll enjoy watching.'

**~O~**

Later that evening, once she had changed into her nightgown, Eva went out and sat on the little balcony that opened up from the royal chambers. The night was warm and balmy, but there was a cool breeze blowing, and it caught in Eva's loose hair and moved it gently.

She sighed and stretched her arms high above her, and then tilted her head back to look at the stars. It was a clear night, but still the stars shone only dimly, their soft radiance dwarfed by the bright lights of the city.

Eva felt a strange longing grow within her – a yearning for open spaces and adventure, for the old creak of the wagons, and the freedom of the wilds. She scolded herself. She was happy here – happier than she had ever been. Couldn't she simply let herself accept this peace?

'Some day, we'll go again,' the voice came from behind her.

Eva turned around without surprise, to see Yao leaning against the door-frame, looking up at the sky, just as she had.

'But our place is here, isn't it?' Eva said, and noted, suddenly, that her voice had changed since the last time that she had really listened to herself speak. It had deepened, somehow. Then she realised, with a strange jolt, that at some point in the three years since she had left Germania, she had grown up.

Yao tilted his head to one side. 'At some point, we will be expected to make a visit of state to Germania,' he suggested. 'When that happens, there's no reason why we should bring an enormous convoy.'

'Just like last time,' Eva said, smiling ruefully, 'and we all know how well that went.'

'The roads are a lot safer, now.'

Eva sighed. 'I suppose.'

Both of them were quiet, for a moment. Then Yao came forward, and sat down beside her, putting an arm around her shoulders. He placed his other hand, very gently, on her rounded stomach.

'Sometimes I feel that maybe... we're not doing the right thing,' Eva said quietly.

Yao frowned. 'What do you mean?'

'Maybe it would have been better if we had left the wilds of Russe and Hima to themselves,' Eva said, very quietly. 'Is it really our place to blot out the stars with lights of our own?' she gestured upwards at the sky.

Yao sighed. 'Maybe what we have to do is to find a balance,' he suggested. 'We've made people's lives far safer by opening these roads. Overall, I'm certain that this alliance was for the best.'

Eva smiled. 'I suppose you're right.' She turned slightly to face Yao, looking into his eyes, their pupils wide in the darkness. 'For one thing, it meant that you and I met.'

He smiled and leant forward, taking one of her hands in his. 'I'm thankful for that every day.'

He kissed her, very gently, and Eva let her eyes close. Her grand adventure, her perilous journey to the Middle Kingdom, might have ended. But in its place another, longer adventure had begun. Her life here with Yao, as an empress, a ruler of a great nation, would always require her courage and her wits. When she became a mother, she would need all her endurance and love. She might not be staring death in the face, but she would certainly need to be strong.

'I love you,' the words were quiet, a sigh against his lips. She spoke in _Hanyu, _his language, the one that he had taught to her in the low, yellow light of a swinging lamp.

'And I love you,' he replied – and Eva smiled as she realised that he was talking Germanian. After another moment, she pulled back from him, and the two of them, sat together, quite still, looking up at the shimmering stars above them.

Somewhere in the darkness beyond, a fountain bubbled. Against her side, Eva felt Yao breath in and out. She concentrated, and against her fingers, she found his pulse, the slow, steady beating of his heart. A heart full of love for her.

Eva smiled. She was content.

* * *

><p>'<em>True love stories never have endings.'<em>

**Richard Bach**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: ...And that's the alternate ending. =D**

**Well, I hope that you enjoyed it! This fic is now done and dusted and completely finished! It feels great, let me tell you. **

**I know that this ending was cheesy, but the other one was just too sad for me. This alternate twist was something which my sugar-starved brain just made up so that I wouldn't be depressed forever. XD**

**I'd just like to thank all of your wonderful people who have reviewed, and in particular the anonymous reviewers. I'm sorry that I can't reply to you personally, but please know that reading your reviews warms my heart, and really helps to drive me forward in my writing. **

**In particular, I would like to thank Ayumi Kudou, because (s)he has been a dedicated fan and reviewer for ages... AND she's sent me a link to some Japanese ChinaLiech fanart! =D She wants to write fanfiction, but is sadly not permitted to get an account. I would say: 'BE A REBEL AND GET ONE ANYWAY!' but I don't want to get anyone into trouble. ^^;**

**All of your reviews mean so much to me, and I totally love you all. Although this fic is finished, I hope that the ChinaLiech love will continue to blossom in your hearts. If you DO ever come across some more shippers of this crakiest of crack pairings – or even better, write or draw some fanwork of your own – please, let me know! **

**Peace out,**

**Izzy  
>a.k.a. Essence of Gold<strong>

**xxx**


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